Scientists hope deeper-rooted soybeans can withstand climate extremes and store more carbon
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.
Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies are investigating whether soybean plants with deeper root systems could help crops cope with climate change while also absorbing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Current carbon dioxide emissions lead to global warming, and researchers aim to remove some of this greenhouse gas from the air.
The institute's Harnessing Plants Initiative is testing the potential of deeper roots in soybeans to store carbon underground and improve resilience to drought and other climate stressors. By editing the plants' DNA, scientists have created varieties with roots that penetrate deeper into the soil, allowing them to reach water during dry periods while also storing carbon further down.
The ultimate goal is to boost carbon storage while maintaining crop yields, as well as reducing nitrogen and other fertilizer runoff that can harm aquatic ecosystems. Researchers are studying these traits in field trials across the United States, including a site at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, to determine how well the plants perform under varying conditions.
If successful, deep-rooted soybeans could be a promising tool in the fight against climate change, with the potential to remove a significant amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year.
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