Newly unearthed mechanism that helps plants 'feel full' could help crops use fertilizer more efficiently

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The short version

• Over the past few decades, the use of nitrogen fertilizers has greatly boosted global crop yields.
• However, plants absorb only around 50% of applied fertilizers.
• A substantial amount leaches into the water supply, which can damage aquatic life and promote harmful algal blooms.

What happened

The remaining unused nitrogen in the soil contributes to increases in the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, which is 273 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. In addition, producing and transporting fertilizers is costly and threatened by ongoing geopolitical issues.

Why it matters

Their storage and transport can also be dangerous because of an unstable nitrogen component in fertilizer.

Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Phys.org via the links above and below.