GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Can genetically engineered Nitrogen fixing bacteria help fight globalwarming?

Sean Houtman · 01-02-2008, 06:08 AM posted to alt.global-warming,sci.bio.botany

"Ouroboros_Rex" wrote in
:

"Tunderbar" wrote in message
news:c8711601-6ebb-4c60-aa36-

... On Jan 30, 6:46 am, Bhushit Joshipura
wrote:
I am a lay man - neither botanist, nor a global warming specialist.
I understand that
1. Global warming is caused by Carbon dioxide in atmosphere

false

More recent research indicates that this may actually be true, the
question does remain about how much is caused by man.

2. Plants fix Carbon dioxide - and more plants, less global warming

plants use co2, like we yse oxygen

This is quite false. We use oxygen as an electron donor for the
reduction of hydrogen. Plants use carbon dioxide as a source of carbon
which is used as a building block for biochemicals.

3. Plants can grow more (and more plants can grow) if soil has
Nitrogen

most plants get nitrogen from the air. some fix it from the soil.

Most plants get nitrogen from the water, about 1/3 of plants get
nitrogen from the soil, and a small number use symbiotic relationships
to get nitrogen from bacteria that get it from the air.

4. Some plants can have symbiotic relations with Nitrogen fixing
bacteria

true

5. But grass family does not have such relationship

true

Several species of grass do have such a relationship, Dactylus
glomeratus is one.

6. Grass family is botanically most successful colonizer of land

could be.

The orchid family is right up there too.

7. Using genetic engineering we can modify organism behaviors

sometimes successfully, most times not, and often with un-intended
results.

8. Bacteria are easier/cheaper to experiment than plants

Not necessarily

Usually it is easier to play with one chromosome than with 40.

Now, if we can alter behavior of some type of the Nitrogen fixing
bacteria and make them symbiotic with grass (wheat, rice, corn,
millet, sorghum, sugarcane, bamboo)
1. A lot of Nitrogen gets fixed into soil
2. Soil becomes very plant friendly
3. That should kick up plant growth
4. That should kick up Carbon dioxide fixation
5. That should bring down global warming

Environment impact could be less than altering plant behavior to
become symbiotic with bacteria.

Actually, you probably have to alter both, as both partners need to
have some reliance on the other. For instance, most nitrogen fixing
plants produce a variant of hemoglobin that helps lower oxygen
concentration around the bacteria, which vastly improves the fixation
rate.

At the end we get a percent or two nitrogen less in the air, better
soil, thicker vegetation and cooler planet - with slump in
fertilizer stocks - all for cheaper than many options for fighting
global warming. Not a bad deal!

Is anyone working in this direction?
-Bhushit

Who caes if someone is working on this. Your first statement, whch
all subsequent statements depend on, is FALSE.

ROFLMAO

Not all the subsequent statements depend on the first one. For
instance, it is a good idea to reduce dependence on nitrogen
fertilizers, regardless of any effect it may have on atmospheric carbon
dioxide levels.

Sean

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