What if plants could grow faster and stronger in poor soil conditions, without the need for excessive fertilizers? A new discovery by scientists at the University of Nottingham could make that a reality.
The research team studied maize plants grown in soils with varying nutrient and water levels. They found that beneficial bacteria living on young leaves directly influence leaf growth.
"In nature, plant leaves are colonized by microbes," said Associate Professor Gabriel Castrillo, who led the study. "We demonstrated that abundant bacteria inhabiting young leaves promote individual leaf growth."
By studying how young leaves interact with natural microbes, researchers uncovered a genetic network that helps plants grow while keeping them resilient against pests.
That may mean farmers could grow healthier crops in drought-prone or nutrient-poor lands by fine-tuning the plant-microbe relationship. This, hopefully, will reduce the need for artificial fertilizers and intensive irrigation.
Many fertilizers that were once considered safe have been linked to environmental harm. One fertilizer, used by 5% of U.S. farmers, was found to contain 27 types of PFAS chemicals (also known as "forever chemicals").
Findings like this can be unsettling, but discoveries like the one from the Nottingham researchers offer a promising alternative to these harmful agricultural practices.
Producing enough food to sustain a growing population is one of the biggest challenges in agriculture. Climate shifts are making droughts more frequent and soil depletion more severe.
This discovery could lead to engineered crops that naturally maximize their growth without sacrificing their ability to fend off pests and diseases.
"We envision that it might now be possible to optimize endogenous growth and defense trade-off mechanisms in crops such as maize via engineering leaf microbiota," Castrillo said.
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Not enough time ⏳ This breakthrough builds on ongoing research into sustainable farming techniques. Another tactic growing in popularity is regenerative farming, which restores soil health while producing strong, resilient crops. More farmers are adopting this method as a way to grow food sustainably.
If successfully applied, these discoveries could lead to more productive harvests, cut agricultural pollution, and help combat food insecurity worldwide.
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