The future of agriculture: Crops that feed on nitrogen from the air

sustainable agriculture

Nitrogen is the most essential nutrient for crop production, but also one of the most difficult to regulate. This compound is vital for global agricultural production. However, excess nitrogen from fertilizers leaks into the environment, producing harmful effects.

In this article we are going to talk about the Importance of nitrogen in agriculture and how certain crops can be fed with nitrogen from the air.

What is the importance of nitrogen for plant growth?

nitrogen rays

Nitrogen plays a crucial role in both plants and humans, as it is used to synthesize amino acids that generate the proteins responsible for cell construction and is one of the fundamental components of DNA. In addition, Nitrogen is vital for plant growth as it is a major building block of chlorophyll, the compound that allows plants to harness the energy of sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars.

The nitrogen cycle is based on a series of processes by which nitrogen passes from the atmosphere to the earth, passes through the soil and finally returns to the atmosphere.

The process begins with biological nitrogen fixation, a phenomenon in which nitrogen-fixing bacteria residing in the root nodules of legumes transform organic matter into ammonium, which is then converted into nitrate. Plants can absorb nitrate from the soil and metabolize it into the nitrogen needed for their growth, while denitrifying bacteria facilitate the conversion of excess nitrate into inorganic nitrogen, which is then released into the atmosphere.

Excessive nitrate, or nitrate lost through leaching (when essential nutrients are dissolved by rainfall or irrigation), has the potential to infiltrate and contaminate groundwater sources.

What is the role of nitrogen fertilizers?

nitrogen in plants

For millennia, humanity was largely unconcerned with nitrogen. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, It became clear that intensive agricultural practices were depleting soil nitrate levels., which raised apprehensions regarding the increasing global population and the looming threat of a food crisis.

Following the industrialization of production, the introduction of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers played a crucial role in boosting the Green Revolution, which led to a substantial increase in global agricultural production beginning in the late 1960sDuring this period, both Mexico and the nations of India and Pakistan achieved self-sufficiency in wheat production, despite being on the brink of famine.

In contemporary intensive agricultural practices, the importance of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers has grown significantly. Currently, World production exceeds 100 million metric tons of this commodity annually, and projections from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations indicate that demand is expected to increase steadily, particularly in regions such as Africa and South Asia.

Is it viable in the long term?

scientists studying plants

With increasing global demand, the challenge of nitrogen management lies in supplying sufficient nitrogen to meet global food security needs while reducing the release of excess nitrogen, 300 times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide.

In certain areas, a nitrogen deficiency hinders the achievement of food and nutritional security. In contrast, in other regions, nearly fifty percent of the nitrogen fertilizer used in agriculture escapes into the environment, leading to adverse effects such as greater environmental risks, irreversible land degradation and contamination of water resources.

This issue can be addressed by improving nitrogen use efficiency, which is based on a multifaceted calculation that often requires a comparison between crop biomass (mainly economic yield) or nitrogen content/uptake (yield) and nitrogen applied (input) through manure or synthetic fertilizers. By optimizing this relationship, not only crop productivity is increased, but also environmental losses are reduced through meticulous agronomic management, contributing to long-term improvement of soil quality.

Currently, the global average efficiency of nitrogen utilization does not exceed 50%, well below the estimated 67% needed to meet global food demands in 2050, while ensuring that excess nitrogen remains within acceptable thresholds for air and water quality.

Although advanced technological solutions for nitrogen management are emerging, farmers can achieve immediate improvements in nitrogen use efficiency through a variety of methods, including fertilizer application, the use of slow-release nitrogen fertilizers, the use of precision nitrogen application tools (such as Green Seeker) or by implementing fertigation through microirrigation.

Optimal technology

Significant progress has been made in developing technologies for efficient nitrogen management, which, in combination with appropriate agronomic practices, have demonstrated the potential to improve crop yields. This approach improves nitrogen use efficiency and minimizes nitrogen surplus in crops.

Researchers are examining the Advantages of biological inhibition of nitrification, a mechanism through which plants release substances that affect the nitrogen cycle in the soilThis natural phenomenon, observed in certain grasses and wild relatives of wheat, plays a crucial role in significantly reducing nitrogen emissions.

In 2007, researchers identified biological nitrification traits in a wheat relative, and in 2018, they successfully transferred these traits to a Chinese spring wheat variety. Although preliminary results indicated low productivity and are still in the early stages of development, scientists are interested in evaluating the potential application of this process to commercial wheat varieties in the future. If successful, this technology has the potential to significantly impact the achievement of global nitrogen use efficiency goals.


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