Bacteria to aid sustainable sugarcane production

In the United Kingdom, scientists have discovered a bacterium that could reduce the use of fertilizer in sugarcane production and improve yield. This research, published in SfAM’s journal, Microbial Biotechnology, describes how scientists searched the roots of sugar cane and found a new bacterium, Burkholderia australis, that promotes plant growth through a process called nitrogen fixation.

The team tested the bacteria, Burkholderia australis, checking that they were happy living amongst the roots of growing sugarcane seedlings, and sequencing the genome to confirm that they had the genetic ability to turn nitrogen into plant food.

More on the story.