On: A variety of corn has evolved a way to make its ow...

[mcgt]

There's a better way to add nitrogen to soil and it's through the nitrogen cycle. The US Midwest (which grows a lot of corn) used to be highly populated with ruminants who did exactly this.

We killed them all (well, most) and now grow corn which we use most to finish off cattle, which is also a ruminant.

Maybe a better solution would be to feed the ruminants off the land now used by the corn? Imagine what that might do.

[mohaine → mcgt]

This IS a nitrogen cycle. Sure it would be great to utilize waste nitrogen as well but that doesn't take away from this.

Btw this is how lagumes fix nitrogen. This nothing new but since it is already in maze it can probably be crossbred into production corn lines without that toxic GMO label.

[mcgt → mohaine]

Bacteria fix nitrogen, not legumes.

[adrianN → mcgt]

It would make the ruminants meat more expensive. That's a hard sell politically.

[quixoticelixer- → mcgt]

How do ruminants add nitrogen to the soil?

[function_seven → quixoticelixer-]

They pee on it.

http://fertsmart.dairyingfortomorrow.com.au/wp-content/uploa...

(Image hotlinked from https://fertsmart.dairyingfortomorrow.com.au/dairy-soils-and...)

[quixoticelixer- → function_seven]

Yeah but where is that nitrogen coming from? It's coming from plants.

[function_seven → quixoticelixer-]

Yeah, hence the “Nitrogen Cycle”.

[quixoticelixer- → function_seven]

Yes but they do not actually add nitrogen to the soil

[noselasd → quixoticelixer-]

Sure they do, they add nitrogen back to the soil that the plants extracted from the soil.

[Scoundreller → quixoticelixer-]

Poop and pee.

[quixoticelixer- → Scoundreller]

Nitrogen that they get from plants