Missouri farmers are projected to spend more than $1.5 billion this year on fertilizer and related soil treatments. Now, researchers at Saint Louis University have made a discovery they said could eventually help reduce those costs.
Scientists have identified a previously unknown structure in a protein that helps certain microorganisms turn nitrogen from the air into a form plants can use.
Edwin Antony, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and the study's co-author, explained what the discovery could mean for agriculture.
"We can significantly reduce the amount of fertilizer needed because the plants will break down nitrogen from the air and you're good to go," Antony pointed out. "You could actually end up not using any fertilizer at all, or we don't need to add nitrogen to the fertilizer."
Antony noted researchers are still working to understand how to make the nitrogen-producing process function efficiently in plants. The findings could eventually help reduce farming costs and the pollution associated with fertilizer production.
While scientists work to turn the discovery into practical solutions for agriculture, Antony added that the research highlights the importance of preparing the next generation to tackle farming challenges.
"We would love to sort of see students from rural communities come and actually work on these problems and sort of take them back to the farms. That would be an amazing opportunity that we could possibly give them," Antony emphasized.
Antony believes such discoveries could help farmers produce food more efficiently and affordably — an important step toward meeting the needs of a growing population. He stressed that finding new ways to support crop production will become increasingly important as global food demand rises.
Missouri News Service, a partner with KRCU Public Radio, originally published this story.
