Scientists are testing deep-rooted crops to combat climate change

To implement the project, specialists received an $18 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund. The funds will be used for field trials to demonstrate the drought resistance of such plants, the amounts and timelines of underground carbon storage, and the potential for large-scale integration of the technology into agricultural production.

Over six years, scientists have built a genetic database of common crops, including sorghum and soybean. Having identified 347 genes responsible for root growth and carbon sequestration, the specialists edited the plants' DNA. As a result, samples were obtained with deeper root penetration into the soil and an increased volume of root mass containing suberin, a cork-like substance that decomposes more slowly than other plant tissues. According to preliminary laboratory calculations, one hectare of such crop сопы is capable of fixing an additional metric ton of carbon dioxide annually.

Field trials are being conducted at sites in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa. At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, researchers are growing soybeans under a special canopy that regulates rainfall to test the plant under drought conditions. Using underground cameras and sensors, specialists monitor root structure and carbon content in the soil in real time.

As the authors of the study note, the introduction of new cultivars in existing fields can happen quickly if the technology generates interest among major seed companies. According to modeling data, growing such crops in countries with a developed GMO market will remove about a gigaton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually by 2040.

At the same time, experts point to potential difficulties. Andrew Bovarnick, a representative of the UN Development Programme, emphasizes that the adoption of innovations in agriculture is often delayed due to the conservatism of the system, the stance of seed companies, trade rules, and government subsidies, while farmers are cautious about taking risks when working with unfamiliar crops without guarantees of freedom from disease and vulnerability to heat.