The food that fertilizes itself | Giles E.D. Oldroyd

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4.1 • 11.9K Ratings

🗓️ 20 February 2025

⏱️ 13 minutes

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Summary

Could the key to a sustainable food system already be growing in the world’s farms? Plant scientist Giles E.D. Oldroyd explores how a special quirk of soybean plants allows them to naturally partner with networks of fungi and bacteria to access essential nutrients in the air and soil — eliminating the need for synthetic fertilizers. He shows how harnessing these microscopic powerhouses could help scientists rewire crops to make their own fertilizer, reducing pollution, increasing yields and improving livelihoods for smallholder farmers.

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0:44.5	You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day.
0:46.1	I'm your host, Elise Hugh.
0:50.6	We're about to get a little geeky about soybean plants.
0:51.6	That's right.
0:57.2	In his 2024 talk plant, Dr. Giles Oldroid lays out the rather magical way soybean plants work and the important role they can play in sustainable agriculture. Enjoy.
1:06.2	So I believe this soybean plant is a prototype for sustainable food production on this planet.
1:12.0	So on the roots of this soybean plant are nodules. And these nodules do an amazing thing.
1:17.8	They harbor millions of bacteria inside the cells of the nodules, and those bacteria are able to capture nitrogen out of the atmosphere and confede it to this soybean plant.
1:29.5	Now, all plants require a source of nitrogen. They need it so they can make DNA, RNA, and proteins.
1:36.1	But plants can't access the most prevalent form of nitrogen on the planet, the 78% of the air
1:41.5	that you're currently breathing, that is molecular dinitrogen.
	...

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