GrainsWest Tech 2020

Tech 2020 grainswest.com 15 GrainsWest: What is nitrogen fixation in plants? Alicja Ziemienowicz: Nitrogen fixation is the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia. Plants on their own are not able to fix atmospheric nitrogen. However, some plants like leg- umes benefit from symbiotic interactions they form with nitro- gen-fixing bacteria like rhizobia. Rhizobia, a soil-borne bacteria, colonize roots of legume plants. In response, legumes produce nodules on their roots that serve as home for rhizobia and the place where bacteria fix nitrogen and convert it into ammonia and nitrates. Plants receive these inorganic nitrogen compounds from rhizobia and in return supply the symbiotic bacteria with carbohydrates, which provide the energy needed for bacteria to grow and fix nitrogen. GW: What drew you to study nitrogen fixation in plants? AZ: Nitrogen fixation is by itself a fascinating process for scien- tists and an interesting topic for researchers. What attracted me additionally is the idea that it could help us solve the nitrogen problem. Nitrogen is one of three main macronutrients, which means it is required for the growth of all organisms, including plants. The richest source of nitrogen is air—approximately 78 per cent of air is nitrogen—but gaseous nitrogen is inaccessible for most organisms. Therefore, non-fixing organisms have to rely on inorganic and organic nitrogen present in soil or other organ- isms. However, the amount of nitrogen in soil is insufficient to support intense crop growth and production in modern agricul- ture without the application of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. T he ability of legumes to self- fertilize by fixing nitrogen from the air is well-known. Developing this ability in grains, however, could radically change Canadian cereal crop production. Such an innovation has the potential to diminish input costs and decrease environmental impact, but making it happen is a complex and challenging task. Alicja Ziemienowicz, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, is working to solve this tricky biological puzzle. While her research began in 2014, and has yielded impressive results, it could be more than a decade from now until we see nitrogen-fixing grains blowing in the wind. BY ELLEN COTTEE • ILLUSTRATION BY MATTHEW SHIPLEY Scientist Alicja Ziemienowicz pursues a revolution in cereal production CULTIVATING RESEARCH