Engineered bacteria trials begin in US maize fields
Scientists from Switch Bioworks are testing transgenic bioengineered bacteria on maize plots in the Midwestern United States to replace synthetic fertilizers.
Transgenic microbes approved for field tests
Researchers suggest these engineered microbes could eventually replace up to half of current synthetic fertilizer use. The bacteria deliver nitrogen more efficiently to plant roots than chemical alternatives do. This efficiency aims to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and stop nitrogen pollution in waterways. Switch Bioworks received approval from the Brazilian agency CNTBio in September for similar strains there.
Companies lead gene editing efforts
Over the last ten years, Pivot Bio utilized its genetically modified biofertilizers across tens of millions of hectares in United States agricultural land. Travis Frey, chief technology officer at Pivot Bio, stated that some products have been tested in Canada and Argentina as well. Mario Murakami, president of CTNBio in Campinas, noted this is the first time a transgenic bacterium has been approved for field tests in Brazil.
Staple crops lack natural partners
Most staple crops like maize and wheat lack natural microbial partners that convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms. Farmers rely on synthetic fertilizers because these chemicals account for 5 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions. Further advances are needed before different microbial species can work together effectively in large-scale agriculture.
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