by Matteo Cavallito<\/p>\n
Rice<\/strong> is the staple food for more than a half <\/a>\u00a0of the world’s population. Therefore, supporting rice yields<\/strong> makes a key contribution to global food security<\/a>. Factors such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers are known to provide concrete help in this regard, but they also have clear environmental impacts<\/strong>. For these reasons, identifying hidden or underestimated natural resources that can positively impact the growth of these plants means opening up new prospects for sustainable and highly productive agriculture.<\/p>\n This is claimed, among others, by some Japanese scientists. In a study published in the journal Plant and Cell Physiology<\/em>, in fact, they showed how rice plant that are grown without chemical input use the microbial communities associated with their roots<\/strong> to adapt to nutrient-poor soils.<\/p>\n