Scientists Hope Deeper-Rooted Soybeans Can Withstand Climate Extremes and Store More Carbon
An $18 million Bezos Earth Fund grant is funding field trials to test whether deeper roots can store more carbon and improve yields.
- Researchers at the Salk Institute are field-testing genetically modified, deep-rooted soybeans across Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa to improve drought resilience and increase soil carbon storage.
- Scientists identified 347 genes related to root growth and carbon storage, then leveraged natural genetic variation to edit plant DNA and create roots penetrating deeper into soil.
- An $18 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund supports field trials using canopy-controlled environments and underground cameras to measure plant performance against drought and track soil carbon in real-time.
- Wolfgang Busch, director of the Harnessing Plants Initiative, said initial results are expected this fall while researchers work to ensure these crops maintain consistent yields alongside carbon benefits.
- Large-Scale adoption could remove a gigaton of carbon dioxide annually by 2040, though Busch emphasized that demonstrating clear benefits to farmers is essential for rapid commercial uptake.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Scientists hope deeper-rooted soybeans can withstand climate extremes and store more carbon – WTOP News
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Research scientist Ashish Rajurkar kneels in the dirt, lifting a large clod of soil tangled around a soybean plant. He knocks away pieces of earth from the plant’s roots, which slope straight down instead of out to the side like typical soybean plants. Researchers hope roots like these could help crops withstand some effects of climate change while also drawing more carbon from the atmosphere and storing it underground. Ca…
Scientists hope deeper-rooted soybeans can withstand climate extremes
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Research scientist Ashish Rajurkar kneels in the dirt, lifting a large clod of soil tangled around a soybean plant. He knocks away pieces of earth from the plant’s roots, which slope straight down
Winnipeg Free Press
Scientists hope deeper-rooted soybeans can withstand climate extremes and store more carbon
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Research scientist Ashish Rajurkar kneels in the dirt, lifting a large clod of soil tangled around a soybean plant. He knocks away pieces of earth from the plant's roots, which slope straight down instead of out to the side like typical soybean plants.
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