HOLY SH*T. THEY FOUND NITROGEN-FIXING CORN BRED BY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN MEXICO. @botanyshitposts
“The study found the Sierra Mixe corn obtains 28 to 82 percent of its nitrogen from the atmosphere. To do this, the corn grows a series of aerial roots. Unlike conventional corn, which has one or two groups of aerial roots near its base, the nitrogen-fixing corn develops eight to ten thick aerial roots that never touch the ground.
During certain times of the year, these roots secrete a gel-like substance, or mucilage. The mucilage provides the low-oxygen and sugar-rich environment required to attract bacteria that can transform nitrogen from the air into a form the corn can use.
“Our research has demonstrated that the mucilage found in this Sierra Mixe corn forms a key component of its nitrogen fixation,“ said co-author Jean-Michel Ané, professor of agronomy and bacteriology in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at UW–Madison. “We have shown this through growth of the plant both in Mexico and Wisconsin.”
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Researchers are a long way from developing a similar nitrogen-fixing trait for commercial corn, but this is a first step to guide further research on that application. The discovery could lead to a reduction of fertilizer use for corn, one of the world’s major cereal crops. It takes 1 to 2 percent of the total global energy supply to produce fertilizer. The energy-intensive process is also responsible for 1 to 2 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
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I’ve written about this before, this is one of those ‘saving the planet’ levels of discovery. No joke.
I know when this discovery first broke I got like 5236834 messages about it through like 800 channels and all “____ girls make do” memes aside….if something permanent isn’t done about the nitrogen problem ASAP, the fertile soils we depend upon will literally be rendered unusable in 100-200 years.
this is a FANTASTIC approach and I’m unironically hyped to see where this research leads. money talks, so what the corporations will be looking for is:
-yield
-insect resistance
-brittle snap (does the corn’s stem break easily? we don’t want it to)
-root health
-growth speed
because this is a native bred cultivar, we can probably assume that it’s very healthy in terms of root health, anatomical strength, and being resistant to insects in its native environment. growth speed should be fine as long as it flowers at the same time as all the other corn, so my main concern would be yield; this is what companies look for. if the researchers can get about 300-400 bushels of corn reliably yielded by this variety (where the industry is at right now), it might just be able to break into the industry to become a thing that everyone grows, which…god, that would be fucking fantastic, not only for the environment but for the farmers who wouldn’t have to pay for nitrogen spraying in their fields anymore.
ForLoveFromFear 