Newly unearthed mechanism that helps plants 'feel full' could help crops use fertilizer more efficiently
Researchers at NYU have identified a molecular mechanism that signals to plants when they have absorbed sufficient nitrogen. This discovery could lead to the development of crops that use fertilizer more efficiently, reducing environmental runoff and greenhouse gas emissions.
Why it matters
Improving nitrogen uptake efficiency could significantly lower agricultural costs and mitigate the environmental damage caused by fertilizer leaching and nitrous oxide emissions.
edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source Arabidopsis thaliana in the NYU Center for Genomics and Systems Biology. Credit: Will Hinckley, NYU New York University researchers have pinpointed the molecular players responsible for plants "feeling full" once they've taken up enough nitrogen—a finding that could help scientists develop plants that absorb more nitrogen from the soil and allow farmers to reduce environmentally and economically costly fertilizer applications.
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