NEBRASKA: Husker scientist leads effort to understand, adapt legume nitrogen conversion
Soybeans and other legumes interact with nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria called rhizobia that are able to convert nitrogen in the air into a form the plant can use to grow and reproduce. Corn and other crops can’t, requiring nitrogen fertilizers to maximize growth and yield — problematic because overapplication or runoff can pollute soil and water.
Marc Libault, a University of Nebraska–Lincoln plant scientist, leads a multi-institution research team seeking to better understand how legumes strike up such a productive partnership with a group of bacteria called rhizobia, which convert atmospheric nitrogen to a chemical form that supports the host plant.
Libault, who is affiliated with Nebraska’s Center for Plant Science Innovation, is working with colleagues from Cornell University, the University of Michigan, Reed College and the National Center for Genome Resources. The work is funded by a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation.
“While several legume genes involved in this process have been characterized, a better understanding of the genetic programs controlling root hair infection by rhizobia is needed before considering the transfer of nodulation capacity to non-legume crop plants,” Libault said.
Ultimately, researchers might be able to genetically modify non-legumes such as corn, rice and wheat to give them the ability to attract rhizobia and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Using less fertilizer could not only reduce pollution, but significantly decrease farmers’ input costs.