Scientists from the University of Malaga demonstrate how this technique helps plants cope with climate change.
By Ken Roseboro
A study led by researchers from the Department of Microbiology at the University of Malaga has revealed how organic farming – that uses natural substances and processes, avoiding the use of synthetic chemicals – can, in the long term, make crops more resistant to drought naturally.
The scientists from the University of Malaga (UMA), authors of this work, Víctor Carrión, Blanca Ruiz, Francisco Cazorla and José A. Gutiérrez, pose in a laboratory at the IHSM.
This scientific team, also belonging to the ‘La Mayora’ Institute of Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticulture (IHSM), has demonstrated that this sustainable agricultural management system enriches specific groups of soil microorganisms, particularly bacteria, helping plants to ‘face’ climate change.
Specifically, the research confirms that soils treated ecologically for decades promote the growth of bacteria, especially those of
the genus Bacillus, which are characterized by their resilience in extreme conditions and their ability to act as a protective shield for plants. The results of this work have been published in the journal *npj Biofilms and Microbiomes* , from the Nature group.
Invisible allies of plants
For the development of this study, two avocado fields were compared: one organic, without chemicals and with organic matter, and another conventional, which uses fertilizers and intensive management, both located in the Axarquía area in Malaga.
“When comparing the rhizosphere (the soil attached to the roots of plants) of crops with more than 20 years under ecological and conventional management, we identified important differences in their physicochemical properties that play a key role in the composition of microbial communities, highlighting a greater abundance of bacteria of the genus Bacillus,” explains researcher and first author of this work Blanca Ruiz Muñoz.
In a second phase, back in the laboratory, the researchers isolated bacteria from the genus Bacillus and evaluated their effect on the plants. Through various tests, they observed that some of these microorganisms improved the physiological state and growth of the plants under drought conditions. “Therefore, it’s not just that these bacteria survive better under stressful conditions such as water scarcity, but they also directly contribute to the survival of the plants,” they explain.
Towards a new form of agriculture
“It’s not just about growing plants, but also about managing and ‘training’ soil microorganisms to move towards another form of agriculture,” concludes Professor José A. Gutiérrez Barranquero, another of the authors of this research.
In short, the way crops are grown today could make future crops more resilient to climate change, so the key to surviving drought might lie underground.
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