We study how plants ‘feed’ themselves to find more sustainable ways to feed the planet

The world’s growing population demands ever-increasing crop production. However, the fertilisers required to meet this demand have a range of environmental impacts, from their use of finite raw materials and mining, to unsustainable manufacturing processes and inefficient products that pollute the environment.

For decades, agricultural philosophy has relied on putting an excess of nutrients into the soil. Since many of these nutrients are lost along the way, extra has to be added to meet the demands of the crop. In addition to inflating farmers’ costs, this leaves a considerable environmental…

© La Conversation - mercredi 30 octobre 2024