
Leaf lamina. The leaf architecture probably arose multiple times in the plant lineage (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A greater focus on the role of microbiology in agriculture combined with new technologies can help mitigate potential food shortages associated with world population increases according to a new report from the American Academy of Microbiology.
“Microbes are essential partners in all aspects of plant physiology, but human efforts to improve plant productivity have focused solely on the plant,” says Ian Sanders of University of Lausanne, chair of the colloquium that produced the report. “Optimizing the microbial communities that live in, on and around plants, can substantially reduce the need for chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.”
The report, How Microbes can Help Feed the World, is based on the deliberation of a group of scientific experts who gathered for two days in Washington DC in December 2012 to consider a series of questions regarding how plant-microbe interactions could be employed to boost agricultural productivity in an environmentally and economically responsible way.
It starts with a startling statistic: In order to feed the estimated global population of 9 billion in the year 2050, agricultural yields will have to increase by 70-100% .
Improved understanding of plant-microbe interactions has the potential to increase crop productivity by 20% while reducing fertilizer and pesticide requirements by 20%, within 20 years, according to the report. These estimates rest on the recognition that all plants rely on microbial partners to secure nutrients, deter pathogens and resist environmental stress.
The report looks in depth at the intimate relationship between microbes and agriculture including why plants need microbes, what types of microbes they need, how they interact and the scientific challenges posed by the current state of knowledge. It then makes a series of recommendations, including greater investment in research, the taking on of one or more grand challenges such as characterization of the complete microbiome of one important crop plant, and the establishment of a formal process for moving scientific discoveries from the lab to the field.
“New technologies are making plant-microbe ecosystems easier to study and investment in this area of research could have dramatic benefits,” says Marilynn Roossinck, University of Lausanne, who helped organize the colloquium.
The Latest Bing News on:
Feed the world
- Insect Feed Market | Growth Prospects, Trends by 2023-2027on March 26, 2023 at 12:03 am
Mar (The Expresswire) -- "Final Report will add the analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on this industry." Latest “Insect Feed Market” ...
- Here’s how the Middle East can feed the world sustainablyon March 19, 2023 at 7:35 am
Today, as the world struggles to feed a rapidly growing population while cutting farming emissions, the region can lead another revolution by pioneering a type of precision fermentation that ...
- New Ideas to Feed the Worldon March 1, 2023 at 6:35 am
Who is doing what to help? More than 800 million people suffer from hunger or malnourishment - almost one sixth of the world's population. Most of them live in developing countries - in Africa ...
- 'We feed the world': Screw Conveyor Corp. marks 90 years in Hammondon February 27, 2023 at 7:05 am
“We make key pieces. We’re integral to the process. I like to think we feed the world.” The company also made augers for John Deere tractors during the 1950s, 60s and 70s, but that business ...
- Breadfruit is high in protein and has the potential to feed the world, experts sayon February 11, 2023 at 4:00 pm
Breadfruit has lumpy green flesh and a potato-like texture It is widely eaten in the Pacific Islands and scientists are encouraging the planting of trees in countries with poor food security One ...
- Kansas farmers feed the world, but that might change if lawmakers don't act soonon February 10, 2023 at 6:40 pm
Gov. Laura Kelly mentioned Kansas’ water crisis in her 2023 State of the State Address, but so far she has proposed few specific policies to alleviate the problem. Will this be the year that ...
- One Billion Hungry: Can We Feed the World?on November 30, 2022 at 7:33 pm
Your institution does not have access to this book on JSTOR. Try searching on JSTOR for other items related to this book. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j ...
- Can pee help feed the world?on May 2, 2022 at 4:07 am
Fertilisers using synthetic nitrogen, in use for around a century, have helped drive up yields and boost agricultural production to feed a growing ... 13 per cent of the world's demand for ...
- Can Lab-Grown Meat Feed the World?on March 26, 2022 at 12:27 am
As the prospect looms of feeding a world population of 9 billion by 2050 ... The cells are fed nutrients—“The same way you’d feed grass to a cow,” says CEO and cofounder Uma Valeti. Once it’s achieved ...
- Saskatchewan has the critical minerals to fuel and feed the worldon March 22, 2022 at 1:15 pm
In fact, it is the world’s largest producer of potash, a leading global producer of uranium, and Canada’s largest producer of helium. The province also holds significant potential to be a ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Feed the world
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Feed the world” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Food supply
- Food Bank hits 40: Regional distribution center feeds a need that is growingon March 26, 2023 at 9:47 am
Food Bank of West Central Texas has been around for 40 years. While the focus may be on McMurry University celebrating 100 years or Hardin-Simmons Cowboy Band about to do the same, the nonprofit ...
- Students learn about supply chain, food wasteon March 25, 2023 at 7:48 am
Grade 5 and 6 students at Riverview School in Brandon learned about the costs of food waste and how to reduce it as part of Canadian Agriculture and Literacy Month. For the first time since the ...
- Why the EU’s potash sanctions are looming over supermarket priceson March 25, 2023 at 6:48 am
The EU has just dealt a shock to its supply of potash, a crucial ingredient for growing enough food — risking a strain on the global food chain in service of its campaign to isolate Belarus over its ...
- Online Pet Food and Supplies Market Outlook and Forecast to 2030 with Top Countries Dataon March 24, 2023 at 1:58 pm
The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content. Mar 24, 2023 (The Expresswire) -- The "Online Pet Food and Supplies Market" study describes how the technology ...
- Biden Wants Biotechnology Used for Food, Supply Chain, and Climate Change Solutionson March 24, 2023 at 8:04 am
A Biden report shared "bold goals" for biotechnology and biomanufacturing solutions into the future. The Biden Administration has put out a new report, " Bold Goals for US Biotechnology and ...
- Our food supply chain needs an overhaul to reflect the real cost of goodson March 22, 2023 at 7:57 am
However, conflating all three issues and suggesting there is a breakdown in the supply chain, or placing responsibility on the multiple retailers or government, is too simplistic. British consumers ...
- Food aid supply chains rely on a surplus—here's what happens during a shortageon March 21, 2023 at 11:35 am
These services are all part of the food aid supply chain, which relies on there being more than enough food. While conventional food supply chains move food from farms to grocery stores or ...
- Amanda Little: Protecting the U.S. food supply means thinking smalleron March 18, 2023 at 12:05 pm
For better or worse, Americans are not just what we eat, we are the laws that govern what we eat. As agriculture leaders in Congress deliberate over the 2023 Farm Bill, they must confront the need for ...
- Local food bank leaders concerned about increased need for help as food supplies decreaseon March 13, 2023 at 2:51 pm
TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - A local food bank is struggling to keep the shelves fully stocked as the need for help is expected to increase in the coming weeks. A temporary boost to SNAP benefits ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Food supply
[google_news title=”” keyword=”food supply” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]