Scientists make critical breakthrough that could protect food supply from emerging threats: 'Lasting benefits'

As climate change shifts weather patterns around the world, some crops are having trouble adapting to the altered growing seasons. 

Luckily for wheat plants struggling to adapt to drought, researchers at Western Sydney University have discovered a synergistic relationship between the crops and soil bacteria. 

According to a summary posted on Phys.org, this relationship makes the wheat more resilient and can boost its yields. 

The study, published in Cell Host & Microbe, discovered that drought conditions fostered microbial colonization, or adhesion, of Streptomyces coeruleorubidus and Leifsonia shinshuensis in the soil. These bacteria then produce nutrients that help the wheat crops. 

This research joins other studies of drought-resistant crops and crop resilience that help to safeguard our food supply as we grapple with the repercussions of climate change. According to Drought.gov, over 113 million acres of crops are experiencing drought conditions in the United States alone. 

"The study shows that these plant-microbe partnerships can create lasting benefits for farming in dry environments, helping to tackle drought and the substantial lasting impacts on food security and environmental health," said Professor Brajesh Singh of Western Sydney University, per Phys.org.

This discovery is a big win in the push for utilizing natural techniques to promote sustainable and successful farming in spite of challenges brought forth by human-caused climate change. 

While high heat and natural disasters are out of our control, scientists agree that these extreme weather events have been heightened through human activity. Drought areas have increased every year since the 1980s, and scientists warn about the potential for multiple-year droughts in the future. 

Climate change is making it more difficult for a variety of plant and animal species to survive. Changing weather patterns and warming temperature averages force many species to adapt at a pace that they are incapable of maintaining. 

That is one of the major problems for crops that are now becoming drought-resistant when they had no need to in the past. Sustainable solutions for crops, like the synergistic relationship achieved with bacteria, help maintain the food supply, especially plant-based options that can lower an individual's greenhouse gas emissions and natural resource utilization. 

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According to Our World in Data, the majority of foods with the highest rates of emitting heat-trapping elements into the atmosphere are animal products. Innovations like the ones discovered by the team at Western Sydney University help to make plant products the lower-carbon option for food. 

Eating a plant-based diet, or even being "flexitarian" by trying to eat less meat, is growing in popularity because of the health benefits for both individuals and the environment. 

"Our research will provide scientists and farmers a new platform to harness natural plant compounds and soil microbes as bio-based tools to protect crops from drought, mitigating the impact of drought on agricultural productivity," said Dr. Jiayu Li of Western Sydney University, per Phys.org.

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