Deep chewing of plant roots, paired with the repeated soil chipping of hooves, caused dormant seeds to germinate and water to penetrate below the surface.

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And this housing crisis struck right at the heart of what it means to be middle class in America: our homes -- the place where we invest our nest egg, place where we raise our family, the place where we plant roots in a community, the place where we build memories.

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Instead of flooding the field, just the required amount of water "drips" slowly through intermittent holes in the tubes directly onto the plant's roots.

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The study measured the effect of three different combinations of black cohosh, an extract from the roots of a plant native to North America.

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"Jerusalem artichokes are very sweet this time of year, " said Boulud, referring to the knotty little bulbs that are the roots of the sunflower plant.

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It also requires the right kind of plant, with the right kind of roots.

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It assists in clearing the fields -- fumigation merely kills the leaves, not the roots of the sturdy coca plant -- and provides technical, micro-financial and marketing assistance.

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Now there are sensors that you can put near the plants roots or anywhere near the plant that use the Internet for connectivity and will tell you exactly when is the optimal time to water.

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Its network of deep roots, which make up more than half of the plant's biomass, makes it difficult to control with herbicides.

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The shade is the result of tannin released from fynbos roots, the bitter taste of which helps to defend the plant against hungry animals.

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