Scientists claim to have found a solution to reducing the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere with the help of microorganisms present in agricultural fields.
Threats From Laughing Gas
When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, carbon dioxide usually gets most of the blame. However, microorganisms that thrive in the farm fields release a far more potent gas, and experts have been thinking of ways to eliminate it.
This substance is nitrous oxide, a colorless, odorless, and non-flammable compound that is commonly known as laughing gas. It is the same gas used to relax people in the dentist's chair.
While this gas seems harmless to humans, it is actually considered a greenhouse gas. In fact, one pound (0.45 kilogram) of nitrous oxide can warm the Earth's atmosphere up to 265 times more than one pound of carbon dioxide. Aside from this, laughing gas can stay in our atmosphere for over a century.
According to scientists, the heavy use of nitrogen fertilizer in farms increases the production of nitrous oxide in soil. In 2022, this compound accounted for 6% of all greenhouse gas emissions from human activities in the US, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Tiny Solution to a Big Problem
A research team believes that they have found a bacteria that can help address this problem. Extensive laboratory and field trials revealed that a naturally derived microbe can reduce the amount of nitrous oxide without negatively affecting other tiny organisms present in the soil.
Led by Professor Lars Bakken from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, the team used organic waste to grow a specific type of bacteria. Building on previous research, they looked for a microorganism that would last long enough to reduce nitrous oxide emissions without disrupting other microorganisms that are crucial for crop health.
Bakken and colleagues settled on Cloacibacterium sp. CB-01, a microorganism naturally found in anaerobic digesters which are used in transforming organic waste products into biofuels. According to soil microbiologist Paul Carini from the University of Arizona, this bacteria is not genetically modified, so it can be accepted and adopted easily.
The researchers used roving robots to measure nitrous oxide emissions day and night and compared the conditions in soil with and without the microbe. They discovered that the bacteria reduced the emissions of an initial fertilizer application by 94%.
After a couple of weeks, the emissions from a subsequent fertilizer application dropped by almost half. After almost three months, there was no difference in the composition of microbial life forms, an indication that the bacteria did not disrupt the soil.
Additionally, it survives well in soil and is relatively cheap to produce. A lot of farmers are already using fertilizers from processed manure, so this technique can be easily integrated into their farming routines.
According to Bakken, their study opens up new possibilities in bioengineering of the farmed soil. He is also optimistic that Cloacibacterium can be included in some forms of fertilizers as early as three to four years from now if the economics make sense.
Meanwhile, soil microbial ecology professor Lori Hoagland from Purdue University noted that more studies are needed before Cloacibacterium can be deployed worldwide since there are many different types of agricultural soils.
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