Scientists stunned by results of unconventional potato-farming technique: 'A promising strategy'

That is enhancing their crop's absorption of nitrogen while maintaining the genetic change that allows them to grow in all seasons.

ScienceNews contextualized the findings of a group of researchers in a study published in the New Phytologist journal.The problem the group hopes to address is cutting down on the crop's waste of nitrogen that occurs via excessive use of nitrate fertilizers. Not only is the use of fertilizer expensive for farmers, it can be damaging to the planet when rainfall causes it to pollute the soil, air, and water.

When the potato crop was taken from its native area in the Andes to Europe in the 1500s, it slowly adapted. In the Andes, winter was when the plant grew its tubers, per ScienceNews. Europe's harsher winters initially prevented the crop from taking off.

A genetic mutation in the gene StCDF1 eventually allowed the plant to grow in all seasons and become a global staple. However, the researchers in the study discovered that StCDF1 also strongly restricts an enzyme that facilitates the crop's nitrogen absorption.

In essence, the adaptation that makes the crop more growable makes it more dependent on nitrate fertilizers.

Salome Prat told ScienceNews the crop's poor nitrogen assimilation was a "problem," and noted "when it rains, this excess fertilizer goes to groundwaters, polluting them." That can be deadly for local fish.

To address the issue, the scientists tested if they could disable the StCDF1 gene to produce potatoes in an extremely low-nitrogen environment. While their potatoes didn't produce tubers, they grew bigger leaves and longer roots than conventional potato plants. They "looked happy," project researcher Maroof Ahmed Shaikh told ScienceNews.

That breakthrough opens up the possibility of using gene-editing to create a StCDF1-resistant enzyme that can absorb nitrogen at a much higher rate. The team conducted successful experiments demonstrating it is theoretically possible, calling it "a promising strategy."

Breeding potatoes with natural varieties that are less suppressed by StCDF1 is another potential solution.

The team's encouraging results are part of a concerted effort from scientists globally to cut down on nitrate fertilizer use.

Recently, a team at the University of Sheffield found rock dust can increase crop yields by up to 15%. Researchers at the University of Texas explored using a copper-based hydrogel that can help capture excess nitrogen. Meanwhile, other scientists are looking to optimize fertilizer production by using less synthetic ammonia that contributes to the warming of the planet.

Stephan Pollmann, a plant biologist not involved in the study, called the team's findings a "smasher" in comments to ScienceNews.

"If you can improve the nitrate assimilation … this is super important," he concluded.