Crop improvement using peptide regulators of growth and N demand signalling.

Global food security relies on using high yielding grain varieties & nitrogen (N)-based fertilizers. Since 1950, fertilizer use has increased 7-fold but yield benefits are declining. Crops only absorb 30-50% of the applied fertilizer & the unused N generates environmental damage that threatens global biosphere health and is costly to mitigate. The novel technology platform outlined here aims to develop (1) new crops varieties with more expansive root systems that use applied N-fertilizer more efficiently and (2) new legume varieties that symbiotically fix more nitrogen in an ecologically-sustainable manner. This technology aims to decrease fertilizer reliance without penalising yield.