Nitrogen is essential for all plants and animals, but despite being surrounded by it—the element constitutes 79% of air on earth—only a few bacteria can absorb it directly from the environment. All ...

Cambridge scientists have identified two crucial genetic factors needed to produce specialised root organs that can accommodate nitrogen-fixing bacteria in legumes such as peas and beans. In a ...

To make protein, soybean plants need a lot of nitrogen. Beneficial bacteria in root nodules typically assist. A new study shows it's possible to increase the number of soybean root nodules--and the ...

Peas and other legumes develop spherical or cylindrical structures -- called nodules -- in their roots to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with bacteria that convert atmospheric nitrogen ...

WHEN a legume root is infected by the nodule organism, the formation of the young nodule is brought about by the multiplication and growth in size of the root-cells, principally in the cortex. In ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Plant breeders could theoretically increase soybean crop yields if they could control the number of nodules on plant roots since they are responsible for fixing atmospheric ...

My laboratory research has focused on the symbiotic association of nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium meliloti with its host plant alfalfa. The specific interaction of the bacteria with alfalfa root hairs ...

Legumes can grow in nitrogen-poor soils due to their ability to engage in symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. There is a great interest in using the knowledge about this symbiosis to enable ...

Scientists are uncovering the genetic switches that let legumes team up with bacteria to pull nitrogen from the air. By ...

Nitrogen-fixing plants are a gardener’s best friend. Here's how these plants use bacteria to grow faster, and how your whole garden can benefit.