Agriculture without the use of synthetic fertilizers is a concept that is becoming more and more popular in the modern world. A recent study from researchers at the University of California, Davis, has shown that when fertilizer is removed from the equation, dormant traits in some plants can be reawakened.

The team at UC Davis studied the effects of removing fertilizer from a variety of crops, including maize, sorghum, and rice. They observed that when fertilizer was absent, the plants were able to “activate” certain traits that had previously been dormant. These traits included increased root mass, better nutrient uptake, and more efficient use of available resources.

The study is a promising one for farmers who want to move away from synthetic fertilizers and toward a more sustainable model of agriculture. It shows that with a little bit of experimentation, it is possible to reawaken the dormant traits that plants possess, allowing them to thrive without the use of synthetic fertilizers.

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source: Phys.org