Disabling nitrogen fixation off-switch in soil bacteria enables uptake in roots of non-leguminous staple crops, eliminating need for fertilizer

https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nitrogen-fixation-discovery-day-crops.html

"diazotrophic bacteria in soil perform atmospheric nitrogen fixation, but halt this process when nitrogen detected in their environment, so synthetic fertilizers are applied... overcome: bacteria's genetic off switch sensory pathway disabled, enabling nitrogen fixation continuously, releasing surplus directly to host roots... dramatically reduces dependence on chemical fertilizers, cutting greenhouse gas emissions/ agricultural runoff... improves soil health/ sustainable crop yields"