Geneedited soil bacteria could provide third source of nitrogen for corn production

Jan 16, 2025

If corn was ever jealous of soybean's relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, advancements in gene editing could one day level the playing field. A recent study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign shows that gene-edited bacteria can supply the equivalent of 35 pounds of nitrogen from the air during early corn growth, which may reduce the crop's reliance on nitrogen fertilizer.