The Nitrogen Burden Even though our atmosphere contains about 78 percent nitrogen, most crops have no mechanism to use this natural nitrogen. Therefore, farmers depend on added fertilizers to provide the nitrogen necessary to boost crop yields. But crops only use about 50 percent of the more than 60 million pounds of nitrogen fertilizers added to them each year. The excess nitrogen can cause environmental problems in soil and water. These natural nitrogen fixers actually leave the soils from which they have been harvested with replenished nitrogen.
Breeders desire to develop other crop plants that can fix their own nitrogen.
In order to mimic something you must first understand it. And biotech has given breeders the tools they need to understand exactly how crops take up and use nitrogen. Efficiency of nitrogen intake and use rank high on many biotech target lists in many countries. Keep in mind, self-fixing plants remain enticing dreams for the next century, and are not likely in the near future. Result in less nitrogen from fertilizers being left to degrade in the soil and ground water.