It’s all thanks to…mucus.
Nitrogen is essential for crops to grow, and it’s abundant in the air, but plants have trouble getting it. Some, like legumes, are able to house bacteria that can transform nitrogen in the air into a form the plant can use; others, including important crops like corn, wheat, and rice, can’t do this, instead requiring vast amounts of fertilizer. But what if there was another way?
Researchers at the University of California, Davis have managed, after many years of searching, to find a variety of corn that’s able to house those helpful bacteria, just like legumes. This ability is called “fixing” nitrogen, and if the researchers can figure out how to cross-breed with modern corn to give that same ability, we could have a major achievement for farmers and the environment.
