Introducing plants that can make their own fertilizer

via RochesterLibrary.org

Article Highlights

Scientists have transferred a collection of genes into plant-colonizing bacteria that let them draw nitrogen from the air and turn it into ammonia, a natural fertilizer.
The work could help farmers around the world use less man-made fertilizers to grow important food crops like wheat and corn.
“There’s a growing interest in reducing the amount of fertilizer used in agriculture because it’s expensive, has negative environmental impacts, and takes a lot of energy to make,” said John Peters, Director of WSU’s Institute of Biological Chemistry and a co-author on the paper. “There’s a huge benefit to developing ways to increase the contributions of biological nitrogen fixation for crop production around the world.”
Reducing fertilizer requirements could have massive impacts on food availability, energy use and agriculture costs all over the world. Fertilizers are too expensive for many farmers around the world. Without them, many nutritionally valuable foods won’t grow in many areas due to nitrogen-poor soil.
“This project is aimed at increasing food production and helping feed the world,” Peters said. “Transforming food production to work without nitrogen-based fertilizers could be a huge development in underdeveloped countries. Adding these microbes would be like pouring kombucha on roots.”
"if we succeed, the reward could be huge for the entire planet.”

Genomic characterization and computational phenotyping of nitrogen-fixing bacteria isolated from Colombian sugarcane fields
on April 28, 2021 at 6:26 am
Intact nitrogenase (nif) genes and operons were found in 18 of ... consisting primarily of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which were discovered and isolated from other countries (primarily Brazil ...
Curious Cook: Synthetic fertilisers and the environment
on April 15, 2021 at 10:48 pm
Rhizobia have at least nine nitrogen fixing (NIF) genes specifically designed for processing nitrogen. These genes express an enzyme called nitrogenase which can convert atmospheric nitrogen and ...
Genetic engineering
on April 14, 2021 at 12:50 pm
Researchers are developing a so-called "daisy-chain" gene-drive system that provides controls for genetic engineering of certain populations.
Experimental evolution makes microbes more cooperative with their local host genotype
on April 4, 2021 at 5:01 pm
See allHide authors and affiliations Many legumes have a host-symbiote relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria ... with mutations in putative signaling genes. Thus, cooperation depends on the match ...
Thomas E Juenger
on March 16, 2021 at 1:00 am
and ecological studies of interactions between plants and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Tom began an appointment at the University of Texas at Austin in 2002, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate ...

Tips and tricks for growing healthy garlic plants: Ask an expert
on May 1, 2021 at 12:45 pm
The gardening season has started and if you’ve got questions, turn to Ask an Expert, an online question-and-answer tool from Oregon State University’s Extension Service. OSU Extension faculty and ...
What do you mean, I might benefit from counseling?
on May 1, 2021 at 6:00 am
What causes it? When did it begin? What triggers it? What are healthy coping skills? Many of our patients are unfamiliar with what counseling actually entails, and perhaps you are too. Some of them ...
The 7 Best Indoor Garden Systems of 2021
on April 30, 2021 at 11:06 am
Indoor garden systems can really open up a lot of possibilities for gardeners. We researched the best indoor garden systems to make the most of your space.
Saving Our Soil…One Billion Microbes at a Time
on April 30, 2021 at 8:32 am
Apparently, in this little amount there are more microbes than all 7.8 billion people on earth today. This handful has greater diversity than all the animals and insects in the Amazon Rainforest. This ...
Growing Things Outdoors: Organic or chemical, that is the fertilizing question
on April 30, 2021 at 7:00 am
An age-old debate centres on the use of chemical vs organic fertilizers in the garden. There are significant differences between the two methods in terms of nutrient availability, effects on the soil ...