Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria That Can Colonize Most Plants Discovered

Zothecula writes "Synthetic crop fertilizers are a huge source of pollution. This is particularly true when they're washed from fields (or leach out of them) and enter our waterways. Unfortunately, most commercial crops need the fertilizer, because it provides the nitrogen that they require to survive. Now, however, a scientist at the University of Nottingham has developed what he claims is an environmentally-friendly process, that allows virtually any type of plant to obtain naturally-occurring nitrogen directly from the atmosphere." The process involves injecting a bacteria that colonizes the plant and fixes atmospheric nitrogen in exchange for a bit of sugar, similar to soybeans. Only this bacteria will readily colonize most any plant.

Comments

Re:Let me guess...

[adminstring]

Let me read TFA... Azotic Technologies.

I read it as they can "colonize most planets"

[Anonymous Coward]

Massive let down when I realized it wasn't a breakthrough in terraforming! :((((

Re:Green apocalypse

[Anonymous Coward]

Hardly -- you're overestimating the role of land plants in the ecosystem. Most nitrogen fixation is done by cyanobacteria in the oceans.

Also, nitrogen fixation hasn't led to a depletion of nitrogen in the atmosphere, because there are whole families of denitrifying bacteria that make a living reducing nitrate back to N2 (a process which is much easier than going the other way).

Re:Now all we need is a bazillion immigrant labour

[Jayfar]

Let me know if they ever figure out how to apply this bacteria to seed before planting or spraying after sprouting. Then they'll have something worth talking about.

Er, that's exactly what is disussed in TFA:

"The process that Cocking developed, based on his discovery, is known as N-Fix. It involves covering seeds in a non-toxic coating that contains the bacterium. As a seed sprouts and the plant grows, the bacterium enters through its roots, and ultimately ends up in every cell of the plant. This means that every one of those cells is capable of fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere – just like sugarcane does."

Re:What could possibly go wrong?

[Doubting Sapien]

I think you guys are misunderstanding what is being accomplished here. Using nitrogen fixing bacteria instead of artificial fertilizer means you *DON'T* have excess nitrates leaching out into the environment. The bacteria acts locally - usually right at the roots of the plant where it has colonized in return for being fed with sugars by the host. It is a truly balanced symbiotic relationship that is self-regulating.

Re:What could possibly go wrong?

[icebike]

Exactly.

Because its not the nitrogen fixing that is the problem, its all the other side effects of artificial fertilization that we could avoid.
As it is, some crop land gets planted in clover or alfalfa once in a while to fix nitrogen in the soil.

By the way Alfalfa already fixes nitrogen with the help of a bacteria:

Like other legumes, its root nodules contain bacteria, Sinorhizobium meliloti, with the ability to fix nitrogen, producing a high-protein feed regardless of available nitrogen in the soil.[17] Its nitrogen-fixing ability (which increases soil nitrogen) and its use as an animal feed greatly improve agricultural efficiency.

So this discovery is actually nothing new, just a more versatile strain of bacteria.