Daily Podcast #40

Source 🎧

The food that fertilizes itself | Giles E.D. Oldroyd - Ted Tech (Ted Audio Collective)

Sentences ✍️

1. Only bacteria that possess the enzyme nitrogenase can convert this very inert form of nitrogen and convert it into ammonia, a reactive form of nitrogen that bacteria and plants can use to make their DNA, RNA and proteins.
   • inert: Chemically inactive; not readily reacting with other substances.
   • New sentence: Most gases in the atmosphere are inert and do not easily participate in chemical reactions.
2. It’s beneficial to the soybean plant, but it’s also beneficial to the bacteria inside those nodules.
   • nodule: Small swellings or lumps, especially on plant roots, that house beneficial microorganisms like nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
   • New sentence: The nodules on the plant roots contain bacteria that help the plant absorb nitrogen from the air.
3. For all of these reasons, myself and my colleagues in the ENSA project are working to eradicate or at least greatly reduce our reliance on inorganic fertilizers.
   • eradicate: To completely destroy or eliminate something, especially something undesirable.
   • New sentence: Scientists are developing new methods to eradicate crop diseases without using harmful chemicals.
     
     

Summarization 👀

Dr. Giles E.D. Oldroyd explores how certain plants, like soybeans, form symbiotic relationships with microbes to naturally access essential nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. Soybean roots form nodules that house nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, feeding the plant. In return, the plant provides carbon from photosynthesis to the bacteria—this is a mutualistic symbiosis. Additionally, soybean roots host mycorrhizal fungi that enhance the plant’s ability to absorb water and nutrients like phosphate and potassium from the soil. These fungi also receive carbon from the plant in exchange. Unlike natural ecosystems, modern agriculture relies heavily on synthetic fertilizers, which are environmentally damaging and costly—especially for smallholder farmers. To address this, Oldroyd and his team aim to make staple crops like cereals engage with beneficial microbes more proactively, even when fertilizers are present. They’ve successfully rewired plants like barley to host more fungi, potentially reducing the need for phosphate fertilizers. For nitrogen, the challenge is greater, as nitrogen-fixing bacteria are currently limited to legumes. However, most genes needed for nitrogen fixation already exist in cereals. By re-networking existing genes rather than inventing new ones, Oldroyd’s team has engineered nodules in non-legumes, though they are not yet functional with bacteria. This research could lead to cereal crops that fertilize themselves, ushering in a “microbial revolution” in agriculture. This revolution would reduce pollution, improve yields, and empower farmers globally by working with nature rather than against it.