Scientists in India have unveiled a method to enhance crop yields while reducing reliance on nitrogen fertilizers, achieving a breakthrough that could reshape global agriculture.

According to the New Delhi-based National Institute of Plant Genome Research, lowering nitric oxide, or NO, in plants significantly improved nitrogen uptake and nitrogen use efficiency, or NUE, in rice and Arabidopsis, a model plant often used in scientific studies.

NUE measures how much crop yield is produced per unit of nitrogen applied.  A higher NUE indicates that the plants are using a greater proportion of the nitrogen applied. At the same time, a lower ratio suggests that much of the nitrogen is wasted, often leading to environmental issues.

Nitrogen is a vital plant nutrient, yet its overuse in synthetic fertilizers has long posed environmental challenges, including greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution.

While farmers and scientists have implemented practices such as slow-release fertilizers and split applications to improve NUE, these methods often come with high costs and limited effectiveness.

The NIPGR study, however, proposes a novel solution: genetic and pharmacological modulation of NO levels to regulate high-affinity nitrate transporters, or HATs, the proteins responsible for efficient nitrogen absorption.

This approach could enable plants to thrive with lower nitrogen inputs, offering a sustainable pathway to bolster food security in the face of climate change and a growing global population.

The Science Behind the Innovation

The research, led by Dr. Jagannath Swain, Dr. Jagadis Gupta Kapuganti, Dr. Nidhi Yadav, and Dr. Sanjib Bal Samant, explored how NO affects nitrogen uptake.

NO acts as a signaling molecule in plants, thereby regulating HATs such as NRT2.1 and NRT2.4 — genes that encode nitrate transporters in plants, specifically involved in nitrate uptake from the soil, which is crucial for plant nutrition and growth.

By reducing NO levels, the team found they could enhance the activity of these transporters, leading to better nitrogen absorption and plant growth.

In their experiments, the scientists treated wild-type plants with an NO donor and a NO scavenger to observe changes in NUE. They also genetically engineered plants to overexpress phytoglobin, a natural NO scavenger, which further boosted nitrogen uptake.

“These findings offer a promising pathway to develop NO scavenging formulations that could be applied across various agricultural systems,” said Dr. Kapuganti. “We are also investigating soil bacteria that could act as natural NO scavengers to improve NUE without the need for genetic modification.”

A Sustainable Alternative to Synthetic Fertilizers

Unlike traditional methods that rely on heavy applications of synthetic fertilizers, this technique offers a cleaner and more cost-effective solution. Fertilizer production is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and excessive use often results in nitrogen runoff, polluting water bodies and disrupting ecosystems.

The new method reduces environmental harm and lowers costs for farmers, who face rising expenses for fertilizers. Crops require less fertilizer with improved nitrogen uptake efficiency, translating to significant savings and reduced ecological footprints.

The study, supported by the Agricultural and Nutritional Research Foundation, established under India’s ANRF Act of 2023, highlights the global importance of developing innovative solutions to meet the twin challenges of food security and environmental sustainability.

Looking Ahead

While the findings are promising, scaling the technology for widespread use remains challenging. Researchers are now focused on developing practical applications, such as NO scavenger formulations and soil amendments enriched with beneficial bacteria.

As the world grapples with the urgent need to feed a growing population without depleting natural resources, the NIPGR team’s work offers hope. With further development and collaboration, their discoveries could help transform agriculture into a more resilient and sustainable enterprise.