Rhizobacteria for reduced fertiliser inputs in wheat (RHIBAC)
High inputs of agricultural fertilisers, particularly containing nitrogen and phosphorus compounds,
have increased crop yields dramatically over the past fifty years. However, it has been clear for
a number of years that intensive arable cultivation of this kind is no longer sustainable.
Firstly, the nitrogen compounds in fertilisers contribute to a number of environmental problems.
Run-off from agricultural land causes pollution of rivers and lakes, and nitrate levels must be
carefully monitored to ensure the quality of drinking water. Nitrogen oxides which are emitted
during the application of nitrogen fertilisers are implicated in poor air quality at ground level
and also nitrous oxide is a highly potent greenhouse gas. Furthermore, the production of chemical
fertiliser depends on natural gas or oil as a primary feedstock, and supplies of these commodities
will become increasingly more expensive in the coming decades.