Plants Thrive While Dropping Fertilizer Use

 

Soil provides plants with some of the nutrients which are essential to mature, comprising phosphorous. Phosphorous may be used in fertilizers, but it may react with other stuff in the soil when added to plants, forming complexes that keep phosphorous out of the reach of the plants. That suggests that farmers must continue to add more chemical fertilizer to the soil, which over time will allow phosphorous to accumulate in the soil. This abundance of phosphorus and other contaminants will be transported by rainwater to rivers, where the pollution can harm the marine ecosystem. Without requiring farmers to use more fertilizer, scientists have now learned more about a potential alternative solution that can help plants obtain adequate amounts of phosphorous. They noticed that the complexes that take phosphorous away from plants could be able to be unlocked by microbes. In ecosystems that lack sufficient nutrients, microbes taken from wild plants can help other plants survive and thrive, and these microbes can also help clean up contaminants. Researchers have now discovered that the chemical compounds that seal phosphorous away in the soil can be removed by extracts of microbes taken from trees growing next to streams. Plants need microbes to thrive, like most species, including humans, particularly because microbes help with nutrient absorption. Endophytes are considered bacteria and fungi that exist for at least a portion of their lifespan within a plant. The researchers inoculated poplar plants with phosphorus-complex-dissolving bacteria in this analysis. The phosphorous binds to fresh complexes once within the plant. Again, since they are within the plant and ready to dissolve these new complexes to keep the supply of phosphorous readily accessible, endo-symbionts play a vital role. This work, both by improving soil conditions and by helping plants survive, will help farmers improve agriculture. It can also help to minimize the use of fertilizer and, consequently, to alleviate runoff emissions. Only microorganisms will be needed for the effort.

---- Sofia Khanam