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Genetic breakthrough promises self-sufficient crops that turn nitrogen from the air into fertilizer
Researchers from different parts of the world have recently developed a simpler way to allow plants to fix nitrogen on their own, without the need for fertilizers.
This breakthrough, which could transform modern agriculture, is based on a minimum of seven identified genes that enable plant cells to produce the enzyme needed to convert gas nitrogen from the air into fertilizer.
The challenge of nitrogen fixation
Production nitrogen fertilizers It is an essential process for agriculture, as nitrogen is one of the main nutrients required for plant growth. However, plants do not provide nitrogen directly from the air, leading to the need for industrial fertilizers.
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The Haber-Bosch process, which was developed over a century ago, revolutionized the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into a form usable by plants. However, its large-scale production relies on fossil fuels and is highly polluting.
The impact of the new method
A new development by scientists could have a major impact on agricultural productivity and reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers. Important food crops such as corn and rice could potentially fix nitrogen on their own, using only sunlight.
This would reduce the use of fertilizers slightly, which not only represents significant savings for farmers, but also brings environmental benefits by reducing the carbon footprint associated with the production of these inputs.
International collaboration
The project that resulted in this innovative discovery is the result of collaboration between scientists from Utah State University (USA), the Polytechnic University of Madrid (Spain), Carnegie Mellon University (USA) and other research centers.
Utah State University biochemist Lance Seefeldt and senior scientist Zhi-Yong Yang led the investigation along with a multidisciplinary team including experts in biotechnology and genomics.
The researchers' work was published in the November 6, 2024 issue of the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .
How nitrogen fixation works in plants
Nitrogen fixation is the process by which plants convert nitrogen gas present in the air into usable compounds for their growth.
Traditionally, this process occurs in some plants, such as legumes, which have a symbiotic relationship with bacteria capable of carrying out this conversion.
Now, scientists are working to transfer this ability to essential food crops such as rice and corn by introducing specific genes.
A research team has managed to reduce the number of genes needed for nitrogen fixation from nine to seven, simplifying the process.
By placing these genes into the plants' mitochondria and chloroplasts, the researchers believe the crops could generate enough energy to fix nitrogen directly from sunlight, without the need for external fertilizers.
Social and environmental benefits
In addition to the possibility of reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers, the discovery has enormous potential to help countries that face difficulties in accessing agricultural inputs.
Regions in sub-Saharan Africa, for example, face challenges in importing fertilizers due to a lack of infrastructure, or have exacerbated problems with food shortages.
Furthermore, reducing the production of nitrogen fertilizers also has the potential to mitigate the environmental impacts associated with their large-scale use.
According to Seefeldt, almost 2% of the world's fossil fuel consumption is directed towards the production of fertilizers, which generates significant greenhouse gas emissions.
Future perspectives
With the discovery of genes essential for nitrogen fixation, research also extends to areas beyond terrestrial agriculture, including the possibility of food production on space missions.
Work by Seefeldt's group, in collaboration with NASA, is exploring how these findings could be applied to long-duration missions, such as those planned for Mars, where producing fertilizer and food would be a major challenge.
The scientific advancement that is being enhanced is an important step towards ensuring food security in the future and creating more sustainable solutions in agriculture.
With the latest results, it is expected that the use of fertilizers can be significantly reduced, alleviating both the environmental impacts and the economic costs of this practice.
Only those who produce food in the field know how difficult it is to apply nitrogen fertilizers, especially when the weather is not cooperating. Let's hope this discovery becomes a reality in the future.