The Wheat Field That Could Change the World | Guntur V. Subbarao | TED

TL;DR

This content discusses the problem of nitrogen leakage in agricultural systems and introduces a potential solution using wheats that produce antibiotics from their root systems.

Transcript

What you see over there is elite modern-day wheat lines that have a special ability to produce large amounts of antibiotics from the root systems. You may be wondering, why do we need antibiotics from the wheat root systems? You only take antibiotics when you are sick, isn't it? The agricultural systems, the modern farming systems have become incre... Read More

Key Insights

• 🌱 The agricultural system is in a state of decline, with 70% of nitrogen fertilizers being leaked out, causing environmental pollution.
• 💢 Nitrogen fertilizer consumption has increased 30-fold since the Green Revolution, but food grain production has only increased four-fold, raising concerns about inefficiency.
• 💧 Nitrates created by bacteria from nitrogen fertilizers are being washed out of farmlands into water bodies, creating ecological damage and potential algal blooms.
• 🌱 Soil is a complex living system with a vast microbial universe, but the Green Revolution's excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers has disrupted and harmed this ecosystem.
• 🌿 Brachiaria tropical pasture grass produces antibiotics from its root system that control nitrifying bacteria, preventing nitrate formation and greenhouse gas emissions.
• 🌾 The challenge is to transfer the ability to produce antibiotics from plants like Brachiaria tropical pasture grass to staple crops like wheat, maize, rice, and sorghum to prevent nitrogen leakage.
• 💡 Researchers have successfully integrated genes responsible for antibiotic production into wheat, creating a new category called BNI-wheats that can control nitrate production and reduce nitrogen leakage from the root system.
• 🚜 BNI-wheats have the potential to revolutionize wheat farming, reducing the need for excessive nitrogen fertilizers, and improving sustainability. These wheats are currently being developed and will be available in the near future.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why is it important to have antibiotics in the root systems of wheat plants?

Antibiotics in the root systems of wheat plants are important because they can help control the nitrifying bacteria that convert fertilizer nitrogen into harmful nitrates. By producing large amounts of antibiotics, the wheat plants can keep these bacteria in a dormant state and prevent excess nitrate formation, reducing nitrogen leakage from farmlands.

Q: What has been the impact of increased nitrogen fertilizer consumption on global food grain production?

The consumption of nitrogen fertilizers has increased significantly during the Green Revolution, leading to a four-fold increase in global food grain production. However, this 30-fold increase in nitrogen fertilizer consumption has raised concerns because it is supporting only a fraction of the increase in food grain production. This indicates that there may be inefficiencies in the use of nitrogen fertilizers.

Q: How does the nitrifying bacteria in the soil affect nitrogen fertilizers?

The nitrifying bacteria in the soil convert nitrogen in the form of ammonium, which is the predominant form in fertilizers, into nitrate. This process not only prevents the nitrogen from binding to the soil but also creates harmful nitrogen byproducts. Since nitrate is easily washed out from farmlands through rainfall or irrigation, the presence of nitrifying bacteria contributes to nitrogen leakage and pollution of water bodies.

Q: What is the significance of the BNI-wheats?

BNI-wheats are a new category of wheat varieties that have been developed to produce large amounts of antibiotics from their root systems. These antibiotics help control the nitrifying bacteria in the soil, preventing excess nitrate formation and reducing nitrogen leakage. The integration of wild wheat genetics into cultivated wheat has allowed for the development of BNI wheats without compromising yield potential or bread-making quality.

Q: How can BNI-wheats help reduce nitrogen leakage in agricultural systems?

By infusing large amounts of antibiotics from their root systems, BNI-wheats can control the nitrate production caused by nitrifying bacteria. This means that the nitrogen fertilizer applied to the wheat crops remains in the root zone and does not leak out of the farmlands. The development and widespread adoption of BNI-wheats in the next 10 years could significantly reduce nitrogen leakage and improve agricultural sustainability.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Modern farming systems have led to the leakage of nitrogen fertilizers, which is harmful to the environment.

• A bacteria in the soil is responsible for converting fertilizers into harmful nitrogen byproducts, which wash out of farmlands.

• Researchers have successfully integrated the ability to produce antibiotics from the root systems of wild wheat into cultivated wheat, creating a new category of wheats that can control the bacteria and prevent nitrogen leakage.