How Roots Push Through Compacted Soil (English, Level A1)

Soil compaction is a growing problem for agriculture.
Heavy vehicles and farm machines compress the soil strongly.
In many places drought from climate change makes it worse.
Plants can thicken their roots when the soil gets hard.
The plant hormone ethylene plays a role in this.
Roots swell and they reinforce their outer layer.
Increasing one protein helps roots push into compact soil.
Scientists found these results using experiments in rice.

Difficult words

compaction — soil becoming hard and dense

compress — push together with strong force

drought — long time with little or no rain

ethylene — a plant gas that changes growth

reinforce — make stronger or support outside part

protein — a molecule in cells that helps work

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How Roots Push Through Compacted Soil^{CEFR A1}

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