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I have been hoping that we could use CRISPR or something like that to make perennial nitrogen fixing wheat. Making cereals into a perennial and fix their own ni
by jamiegreen 8y ago
I have been hoping that we could use CRISPR or something like that to make perennial nitrogen fixing wheat. Making cereals into a perennial and fix their own nitrogen could be huge.
I also presume it may not happen for a very long time as most of the big seed companies would be presumably very against it.
- phkahler 8y agoSeed companies would love it assuming they can get it. Fertilizer companies would hate it. A company that produces both might suffer some kind of breakdown.
- webmaven 8y agoMany of the seed companies now are fertilizer (and pesticide/herbicide) companies.
- phyzome 8y agoExternally applied nitrogen has the benefit that the wheat plant doesn't need to divert sugars to the symbiotes for nitrogen production, and can instead spend it on making heads of grain. As cool as it is, I'm not clear that it actually helps efficiency in industrial agriculture. Partly depends on how efficient the symbiotes are vs. how expensive synthetic fertilizer production is.
- jamiegreen 8y agoInteresting. I am not an expert, and it sounds like you are, so thanks for adding that. Even if it wasn't quite as efficient, could it be worth the trade-off in terms of reduced CO2? As the application of synthetic fertiliser etc is very fossil fuel intensive?
- phyzome 8y agoI'm not an expert either, I just know some and have heard of some of these issues—so I don't have anything definitive to say, just that it's not a clear win in my eyes. I also don't know if the wheat plants are even sugar-limited, for that matter! I guess what I'm saying is "plants are complicated". :-P