Touch the Soil News #1727 (Feature Photo – Sierra Mixe Corn – Courtesy of Wisc.edu)
The Foundation For Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR https://foundationfar.org/), with matching funds from Benson Hill, granted $1.9 million to UC Davis for an interesting study. The study looks at a Mexican corn variety called Sierra Mixe that is able to get nitrogen right out of the atmosphere with the help of microbes.
Lowering the cost of applying nitrogen artificially, with synthetic fertilizers, would be an economic life-saver, for farmers facing constant increases in the cost of production. You can read the full story here:
https://foundationfar.org/news/ffar-grant-reduces-need-for-synthetic-fertilizer/
