ISSN 2027-1238
E-Newsletter No. 5
October 2009

Scientists have solved a 30-year mystery that could radically reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer required by agriculture, helping to boost food production and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The findings have been reported in the latest edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The breakthrough centers on the discovery of brachialactone, a hitherto unknown chemical compound released from the roots of the tropical pasture grass Brachiaria. The compound has been shown to reduce nitrification, a soil microbial process that leads to nitrogen leakage into the environment, which is largely responsible for nitrogen pollution. Nitrification and denitrification processes in agricultural systems release nitrous oxide, a powerful greenhouse gas 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide. The finding could be particularly important for improving the nitrogen efficiency of cereal crops, which "waste" nearly 60% of the nitrogen applied in fertilizer—losses amounting to around US$17 billion per year.

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