Crops worldwide to take nitrogen
from the air?
T
HE University of Nottingham (UK) scientists have developed
a new technology that could potentially enable all of the
world’s crops to take nitrogen from the air, instead of
requiring expensive and environmentally damaging fertilisers.
Nitrogen fixation, the process by which nitrogen is converted
to ammonia, is vital for plants to survive and grow. But only a
very small number of plants, most notably legumes (such as peas,
beans and lentils) have the ability to fix (use) nitrogen from the
atmosphere, with the help of nitrogen fixing bacteria.
The vast majority of plants have to obtain nitrogen from the
soil, and for most crops currently being grown across the world,
this also means reliance on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser.
Adding nitrogen-fixing bacteria to roots
Professor Ted Cocking, Director of The University of
Nottingham’s Centre for Crop Nitrogen Fixation, has developed a
unique method of putting nitrogen-fixing bacteria into the cells
of plant roots.
His major breakthrough came when he found a specific
strain of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in sugarcane known as G.
diazotrophicus could intra-cellularly colonise all major crop plants.
This ground-breaking development potentially provides every
cell in the plant with the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. The
implications for agriculture are enormous, as this new technology
can provide much of the plant’s nitrogen needs, he suggests.
Known as N-Fix, the method is neither genetic modification
nor bioengineering. It is based on naturally occurring nitrogen
fixing bacteria that take up and use nitrogen from the air.
It’s all in the seed
Professor Ted Cocking from University of Nottingham with a
plant grown using nitrogen fixation N Fix technology.
(Photo: The University of Nottingham)
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N-Fix is a natural nitrogen seed coating that provides a
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is environmentally friendly and can be applied to all crops.
Over the past 10 years, The University of Nottingham has
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22 — Australian Grain
j/24d01072/270808
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Dr Philip Stone from The University of Nottingham tending
to the plants undergoing the atmospheric nitrogen fixation
trials. (Photo: The University of Nottingham)
March–April 2014
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BROADACRE FIELD TRIALS
During 2013, Azotic Technologies and the University of
Nottingham collaborated on the first batch of broadacre field
trials of the N-Fix technology. Analysis of the generated data
has given very positive results.
The first batch of field trials – carried through to harvest
– on wheat, oilseed rape (canola), pasture and amenity grass
were done during the northern hemisphere summer. They have
demonstrated that the inoculation of seed with N-Fix prior to
sowing leads to:
OO Successful colonisation by the nitrogen-fixing bacteria in
each of the field grown crops; and,
OO Benefits to the plants at levels at least equivalent to
between 25 and 50 per cent of the recommended rates of N
fertiliser treatments.
These field results – based on measures of leaf chlorophyll
and total leaf nitrogen content, and crop yield – confirm
laboratory findings that N-Fix has the potential to substitute
for a significant amount of nitrogen fertiliser use.
More field trials and laboratory tests are underway developing this new
technology. Future issues of Australian Grain will present the results of this
ongoing research. For further information see: www.azotictechnologies.com
Section of root tip after inoculating with G. diazotrophicus,
showing extensive intracellular colonisation.
(Photo: The University of Nottingham)
Nitrate pollution
A leading world expert in nitrogen and plant science, Ted has
long recognised that there is a critical need to reduce nitrogen
pollution caused by nitrogen based fertilisers. Nitrate pollution
is a major problem as is also the pollution of the atmosphere by
ammonia and oxides of nitrogen.
In addition, nitrate pollution is a health hazard and also causes
oxygen-depleted ‘dead zones’ in our waterways and oceans.
The annual cost of damage caused by nitrogen pollution across
Europe alone has been estimated at $100 billion to $500 billion.
Ted said: “Helping plants to naturally obtain the nitrogen they
need is a key aspect of world food security.
“The world needs to unhook itself from its ever increasing
reliance on synthetic nitrogen fertilisers produced from fossil fuels
with its high economic costs, its pollution of the environment and
its high energy costs.”
Making N-Fix available worldwide
The N-Fix technology has been licensed by The University
of Nottingham to Azotic Technologies Ltd to develop and
commercialise N-Fix globally on its behalf for all crop species.
Peter Blezard, CEO of Azotic Technologies added: “Agriculture
has to change and N-Fix can make a real and positive
contribution to that change.
“It has enormous potential to help
feed more people in many of the
poorer parts of the world, while at
the same time, dramatically reducing
the amount of synthetic nitrogen
produced in the world.”
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trials to produce robust efficacy data.
This will be followed by seeking
regulatory approval for N-Fix initially
in the UK, Europe, US, Canada
and Brazil, with more countries to
follow. It is anticipated that the N-Fix
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24 — Australian Grain
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The University of Nottingham’s Plant and
Crop Sciences Division is internationally
acclaimed as a centre for fundamental
and applied research, underpinning its
understanding of agriculture, food production
and quality, and the natural environment. It
also has one of the largest communities of
plant scientists in the UK.
For more information see: http://www.
nottingham.ac.uk
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