No matter where the world goes in development and advancement, it will still rely on agriculture to provide sustenance. With more advancements in the industrial arenas, the world is experiencing more pollution and rising temperatures. As a result, there is an appalling level of global warming prevalent on earth. This extreme change in temperatures has led to many consequences which are not pleasant. They have begun to interfere with natural processes and create inconvenience and hazards for people.
One of such outcomes of rising temperatures and global warming is widespread drought or dry periods in agriculture. Researchers and scientists are working on ways that will enable the growth and plantation of food even in arid regions with a little amount of water.
The research is being carried out by researchers from MIT and Morocco. The main aim is to allow the seeds to go through the important germination phase without drying out and becoming infertile. The method will not only make up for little availability of water but provide nutrition as well. The new genetically engineered seeds will have an extra layer of coating around. The inspiration lies in the chia and basil seed coating that has a gel-like consistency and texture. This prevents moisture from escaping and stops the dehydration of these seeds.
Moreover, another coating is added inside the gel-like consistency covering. This coating will have microorganisms called rhizobacteria. Their main function will be to fix nitrogen in the soil, releasing nutritious contents for the seed to feed on and transform into a plant. The initial tests and trials have shown successful and prospective results, making this method a ray of hope amidst the water crisis and global warming. More tests are needed before these seeds are made commercially available. Scientists are hopeful for technologies like these.