How Can Microbes Protect Crops From Drought?

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 13 жов 2024
  • Solving food shortages caused by droughts is a big challenge that may benefit from a tiny ally. Turns out that the microbes living in the soil around plants can give them a boost when water's scarce, which means more food for us, which is a big win!
    Hosted by: Hank Green (he/him)
    Support for this video provided by Gates Ventures.
    ----------
    Support SciShow by becoming a patron on Patreon: / scishow
    ----------
    Huge thanks go to the following Patreon supporters for helping us keep SciShow free for everyone forever: Adam Brainard, Alex Hackman, Ash, Bryan Cloer, charles george, Chris Mackey, Chris Peters, Christoph Schwanke, Christopher R Boucher, Dr. Melvin Sanicas, Harrison Mills, Jaap Westera, Jason A Saslow, Jeffrey Mckishen, Kevin Bealer, Matt Curls, Michelle Dove, Piya Shedden, Rizwan Kassim, Sam Lutfi, Silas Emrys
    ----------
    Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet?
    SciShow Tangents Podcast: scishow-tangen...
    TikTok: / scishow
    Twitter: / scishow
    Instagram: / thescishow
    Facebook: / scishow
    #SciShow #science #education #learning #complexly
    ----------
    Sources:
    iopscience.iop...
    www.cgiar.org/...
    pubmed.ncbi.nl...
    www.sciencedir...
    www.ncbi.nlm.n...
    iopscience.iop...
    iopscience.iop...
    www.pnas.org/d...
    link.springer....
    www.ncbi.nlm.n...
    pubmed.ncbi.nl...
    Image Sources:
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...
    commons.wikime...
    www.gettyimage...
    commons.wikime...
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...
    commons.wikime...
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...
    www.gettyimage...

КОМЕНТАРІ • 148

  • @SciShow
    @SciShow  Рік тому +30

    Support for this video provided by Gates Ventures.

    • @braindiscovertech
      @braindiscovertech Рік тому

    • @RoelCandaeleARTISTSPAGE
      @RoelCandaeleARTISTSPAGE Рік тому

      😘💞

    • @Shouziroku
      @Shouziroku Рік тому

      Now I get that misinformation. Certain parts of the world may have trouble with droughts, but if Europe ends up having any food trouble, it's gonna be completely made up. The proof is how the Netherlands is banning thousands of farmers from working for supposed nitrogen limits. Thing is, those are some of the most efficient farmers in existence, meaning that they're making food scarcity artificially and externalizing nitrogen pollution to other countries.

    • @b_uppy
      @b_uppy Рік тому +2

      Polycropping does this. It also builds soil carbon; conserves water; add soil tilth and fertility; etc. It also adds other harvestable crops without being expensive to implement...

    • @ogi22
      @ogi22 Рік тому

      Video is wonderful. However i have a thing for those "tiny" changes... Remember rabbits in Australia? Adding those little guys to the soil may change things waaaaaay beyond our dreams... Oh, you're from US... Kudzu perheaps? 😁A disaster that was supposed to repair another disaster?😉

  • @alexandritegreenhouse305
    @alexandritegreenhouse305 Рік тому +167

    I'm currently a student studying environmental science and I've been working with plant endophytes, or the microbes found inside of plant tissues, for a little over a year. I've been watching SciShow since I was in middle school and have always loved learning all kinds of interesting science stuff, which is a huge reason why I got into doing research, so it's super exciting to see that some of the work I'm doing is being discussed on one of my long-time favorite channels on UA-cam! This channel is such an inspiration, and I'm so glad that I finally get to contribute to the knowledge that SciShow shares with everyone ☺

    • @-beee-
      @-beee- Рік тому +9

      That's incredibly cool! Are there any things that you wish more people understood about your field?

    • @alexandritegreenhouse305
      @alexandritegreenhouse305 Рік тому +20

      Yes actually! The research I did focused on plants that are used in field restoration efforts, as opposed to agriculture, which is what this video focused on. Agriculture is obviously incredibly important, but a lot of the tools that are being used or developed to aid agriculture with climate change can also be used to help repair more wild ecosystems that have been already been damaged or protect ecosystems that are likely to be damaged soon. Thank you for the question! @@-beee-

    • @erikhoryza9068
      @erikhoryza9068 Рік тому +9

      As a former lab researcher, thank you for your collaborative research efforts/published reviews! You literally help humans live and technology be applied in new and meaningful ways!

    • @ponyote
      @ponyote Рік тому +3

      Thank you for all you do. DFTBA!

    • @CloudyClimate
      @CloudyClimate Рік тому +3

      that’s super inspiring, thank you for your work!

  • @basswhooper
    @basswhooper Рік тому +37

    Hank, I can't tell you how good it is to see you at it again. Welcome back, man.

    • @4starcommander
      @4starcommander Рік тому +4

      So glad his cancer is in remission! God bless this man!

  • @fimbulkron
    @fimbulkron Рік тому +4

    4:40 LOL, the kind of optimism is heartwarming. "Smaller farms and those in developing parts of the world would be able to use these solutions to improve their yields and their livelihoods..."
    As if they could afford it, if it becomes significantly useful, then only the big corps will make a profit from it.
    Maybe it results in more net food, but just food isn't the problem for a long while, it's its affordability for the masses, the profitability for the farmers and distribution of it. We still produce food to feed about 13 Billion people nowadays. But up to a third just gets disposed, rots because of speculants or never gets where it's needed.

  • @notconnected3815
    @notconnected3815 Рік тому +8

    Verry interesting
    I think it is verry important to prepare your soil in a way that it can hold more water, especially in areas where no irrigation is possible

    • @paul49777
      @paul49777 Рік тому +4

      Look to BIOCHAR to house the biome and retain moisture for the plants

  • @davidlist7507
    @davidlist7507 Рік тому +3

    Hope you get perfectly well soon Hank, Love your broadcasts, Peace💖

  • @braindiscovertech
    @braindiscovertech Рік тому +23

    This is an interesting video about how some microbes can protect crops from other harmful microbes. I learned that some bacteria can prevent diseases in tomatoes by competing with pathogens for nutrients and space. This could be a new way to improve food safety and crop yields. Thanks for sharing this video! 👍

    • @c.fyffe0
      @c.fyffe0 Рік тому +1

      I must be doing something right my cherry tomatoes are over 6ft tall

    • @kelliott7864
      @kelliott7864 Рік тому

      Not new at all, I've been buying biological crop protectants for my garden for years.

  • @mirajshinobikubramla
    @mirajshinobikubramla Рік тому +3

    Me too I am doing my PhD thesis and I am working on rhizobacteria and their effects on plants under salt stress conditions and i published a paper in springer nature ❤ it's fascinate

  • @Julayla
    @Julayla Рік тому +5

    Wow, that could be useful for my mom's plants

  • @SerpentiCaptain
    @SerpentiCaptain Рік тому +69

    At this point, I'd be completely unsurprised to learn that microbes have microbiomes.

    • @josgibbons6777
      @josgibbons6777 Рік тому

      ua-cam.com/video/1-NxodiGPCU/v-deo.html

    • @RiversInTheSky.
      @RiversInTheSky. Рік тому +13

      Bacteriophages come to mind

    • @EmilySmirleGURPS
      @EmilySmirleGURPS Рік тому

      There's bacteria with symbiotic viruses on their outside, and in their genomes ready to be manufactured and deployed.

    • @ashleelarsen5002
      @ashleelarsen5002 Рік тому

      My terrarium bonsai is dying too

    • @SerpentiCaptain
      @SerpentiCaptain Рік тому

      @@RiversInTheSky. Are bacteriophages really microbiomes? They read more like predators to me.

  • @BossOfAllTrades
    @BossOfAllTrades Рік тому +16

    Interesting how the bacteria in the soil help plants thrive, with industrial agriculture we forgot about all the techniques that help build that life: cover cropping composting agroforesty and end up just relying on chemical fertilizer and pesticides killing soil life and losing miles of topsoil every day. If we go back to a natural farming system we wouldnt need to look at such crazy ideas to save agriculture.

    • @agapitoliria
      @agapitoliria Рік тому +3

      Would love to see scishow videos on these traditional agriculture systems, they seem like such an obvious solution to issues with fertilizers, droughts, pollinisers...

    • @BossOfAllTrades
      @BossOfAllTrades 11 місяців тому

      @@agapitoliria same here

  • @General12th
    @General12th Рік тому +4

    Hi Hank!
    Who knew food reliability could come from something so little?

  • @Tawkitoutti
    @Tawkitoutti Рік тому +1

    I hope we see more of you still. I think it would be a quirky trend if we saw you in a different type of hat every show. One day a cowboy hat, the next a fedora, then whatever walter white wore. and so on. best wishes!

  • @TeamBehrens
    @TeamBehrens Рік тому +1

    You look great!,

  • @stephenbrickwood1602
    @stephenbrickwood1602 Рік тому

    Excellent presentation 👏 👌 👍 😊

  • @alfiand9269
    @alfiand9269 Рік тому +4

    In my country there are some gardener community that use humic acid as soil bacterial booster to help these "dead" land problem, care to dig deep in to it?

    • @LibraryAce
      @LibraryAce Рік тому

      More on soil life and how we can use these natural ways of protecting/healing/improving plants would be wonderful!

  • @AndyClements
    @AndyClements Рік тому +5

    4:48 "Smaller farms and those in developing countries could use..."
    **Monsanto laughs in dollars**

  • @CYellowan
    @CYellowan Рік тому

    So, it's like a buffer and stabilizer for when rain stops. Aight.

  • @Alepoudiitsa
    @Alepoudiitsa Рік тому +1

    this summer i was watering daily! and still no rain here for 2 months

    • @Alepoudiitsa
      @Alepoudiitsa Рік тому

      the thing is tho it is not me that will pay a lot it is the person that have a farm and is growing corn it is soooo expesive to water them 17 euros an hour and the usely need hours to water all off them.

  • @jasminesherwood7013
    @jasminesherwood7013 Рік тому +2

    I made recombinant DNA bacteria specifically for this in college! Mine were specifically for soybeans!!

  • @pjpcarv
    @pjpcarv Рік тому

    Yeah... nothing bad has ever happened from introducing a new critter to tackle a particular problem.

    • @Zach-h2l
      @Zach-h2l 4 місяці тому

      well yeah times like those australian frogs are bad, but isnt like, every example of a domesticated animal in all of human history a time when it did work out?

  • @AdrianShaw-pd5en
    @AdrianShaw-pd5en Рік тому

    This is exactly what Indigo Agriculture has been trying to commercialize for years, encasing seeds with micro flora. So it’s out there, and it’s real.

  • @phileas007
    @phileas007 Рік тому

    yes, the spice melange

  • @battleon81
    @battleon81 Рік тому +1

    It sounds great so long as they stick to native species. Importing microbes from other countries could cause a whole mess of problems if they start teaming up with invasive plants.

  • @-beee-
    @-beee- Рік тому

    Wow, this is so cool

  • @Brown95P
    @Brown95P Рік тому +6

    So this is *_very_* good and all, but could we do the same with the microbiome of plants living in permafrosted lands and allow less hardy plants to make it into such lands?
    Because fact of the matter is, we humans simply have more options when it comes to living on cold areas than living on hot ones, which is something plants unfortunately don't seem to share, and while the current amount of land deemed "cold" is only a fraction of the land that's at risk of desertification by comparison, still being able to fully live off of such cold lands would at the very least expand the global range of arable land, which would help relieve the burden of feeding our whole species through a larger and more affordable supply.

  • @Rabcup
    @Rabcup Рік тому +2

    DANK HANK

  • @bbbenj
    @bbbenj Рік тому

    An interesting possibility.

  • @freedomcat
    @freedomcat Рік тому +2

    Or use the 3 sisters planting method.

    • @Jay-ho9io
      @Jay-ho9io Рік тому

      "or"isn't necessary. You can do multiple things at once.

    • @orishaeshu1084
      @orishaeshu1084 Рік тому

      Raccoons have something to say about that

  • @lyndsaybrown8471
    @lyndsaybrown8471 Рік тому

    Here's hoping we also reduce food waste.

  • @nightthought2497
    @nightthought2497 Рік тому +5

    This really sounds like another mechanism of agricultural control, because I can guarantee you that "specialized" version are gonna get patented to all hell and designed to only work with specific genetically engineered varieties. Because a much bigger problem with agriculture is mono-cropping. This is a super cool discovery, but is the right answer to the wrong problem.

  • @Mathematically69
    @Mathematically69 Рік тому +3

    🌱🌱🌱

  • @teagan_p_999
    @teagan_p_999 11 місяців тому

    Mibrobes are also being investigated for control of plant diseases such as root rot.

  • @leponpon6935
    @leponpon6935 Рік тому

    AIn't no Plant Microbiome without the soil... oooorrr water body medium...unless, you're a cactus or succlent : )

  • @КГБКолДжорджКостанца

    We need aaaaaall the microbiomes

  • @samwill7259
    @samwill7259 Рік тому +1

    An amazing, easily implemented solution!...but it'll cost ten bucks so no company will do it unless forced.

    • @GamerbyDesign
      @GamerbyDesign Рік тому +1

      10 dollar a what? An acre, a plant, a season? Makes huge difference.

  • @Revlemmon
    @Revlemmon Рік тому

    Sounds like something Monsanto would patent and charge your first born for.

    • @RobKaiser_SQuest
      @RobKaiser_SQuest Рік тому

      Or perhaps Bayer or Syngenta, Monsanto doesn't currently exist

  •  Рік тому +3

    Oh yes,introducing a species into new environments. That has never backfired in unpredictable ways.

    • @Zach-h2l
      @Zach-h2l 4 місяці тому

      isnt every successfully domesticated animal a time where it worked out for us. or like, the concept of agriculture.

  • @bernardosax
    @bernardosax Рік тому +1

    WORDS

  • @johnroydelacruz1433
    @johnroydelacruz1433 Рік тому

    Interesting

  • @squirrelg5135
    @squirrelg5135 Рік тому

    Would it work to plant 2 or 3 rows of grape vines in the fields to help naturally produce the biomes you're talking about?

    • @LibraryAce
      @LibraryAce Рік тому

      That's smart! Intercropping is a good idea to start with to increase plant diversity and make more use of land. I wonder if some of the companion planting advice out there actually works because of this or other microbe-sharing advantages.

  • @globalcomsur
    @globalcomsur Рік тому

    This happening now with my plants 😢😢😢

  • @eSKAone-
    @eSKAone- Рік тому +4

    As long as we feed a huge amount of grains to cattle giving us 10 to 15 times less the nutrition in form of milk and meat, we seem to have enough grains.

  • @ArcadeAndrew.
    @ArcadeAndrew. Рік тому

    Im just shocked nobody done the natural selection method over years over years for single season or even multi crop seasons.
    IE for tomatoes... start with a few tomatoes.. water it twice a day in a dry hot climate, then take seeds from a tomato of it, grow those seeds and water them once a day in the same temp then seeds from that and water it twice (or once) every other day etc. and continue the process until a species that extremely drought resistant produces good fruit

  • @ConLustig
    @ConLustig 14 днів тому

    Fungi were the first farmers

  • @ponyote
    @ponyote Рік тому

    Weird question. Can humans engineer normal plants to create hyphae like fungi have? Not sure that would help but I'm just a human, thinking out loud.

    • @ponyote
      @ponyote Рік тому

      @user-nz6ug4ru8f I am an old dog and that is a very new trick. But thank you very much for this thoughtful response.

  • @eklectiktoni
    @eklectiktoni Рік тому

    Plant probiotics!

  • @konnivingfox7991
    @konnivingfox7991 Рік тому +1

    aka probiotics for plants

  • @playhard719
    @playhard719 7 місяців тому

    This is why traditional farmers all around world used animal waste as fertilizer

  • @youmaycallmeken
    @youmaycallmeken Рік тому

    Does the chlorine that's in tap water then kill the plants' microdome along with the microdome's benefit? Do farmers use a different water supply for crops or otherwise filter out the chlorine?

    • @teardowndan5364
      @teardowndan5364 Рік тому +2

      There is no shortage of stuff for chlorine to react to on its way from whatever dispenser it is coming out of through the ground to the roots. Unless the water treatment plant over-doses chlorine, I doubt it'd be an issue. If the water distribution system has been modernized a little, there will be dosers along main pipes to keep water quality more consistent throughout instead of front-loading everything at the water treatment plant.

    • @LibraryAce
      @LibraryAce Рік тому

      A much bigger problem is the artificial fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides used to increase yields. These don't feed the soil microbiome and in some cases destroy it. The plants become dependent on a constant cycle of manufactured fertilizers to produce because the natural process of plants and soil life supporting each other is interrupted. This is one reason why organic methods are important. The soil can recover and begin to be better at retaining water, providing nutrients, and even helping plants resist disease.

  • @kkkkkkk-fr2ix
    @kkkkkkk-fr2ix Рік тому

    You sounds like the NPC names Yanming from the game Honkai Star Rail and that's fun

  • @mysteriousshadow395
    @mysteriousshadow395 Рік тому +1

    Hmm... Whenever an easy solution is used, I wonder what side effects there'll be.

  • @Chris_winthers
    @Chris_winthers Рік тому

    Proteins

  • @Koelkop
    @Koelkop Рік тому +2

    Promising idea, but lets see what it will eventually cost to the farmer. Input costs are so high already.

    • @kelliott7864
      @kelliott7864 Рік тому

      Extremely cost effective because it only takes a small amount, as the microbes reproduce quickly once in the soil. They can even be mixed with the seeds before planting.

  • @andrewsuryali8540
    @andrewsuryali8540 Рік тому

    I'm... I'm... gross slimy microbe?😢

  • @raeperonneau4941
    @raeperonneau4941 Рік тому +9

    Farmers might grow more food if the government would stop subsidizing the growing of corn and then destroying it to keep the price high. 🤷🏻‍♀️

    • @kelliott7864
      @kelliott7864 Рік тому

      And forcing us to buy corn alcohol in our gasoline.

  • @orientalshorthaircats
    @orientalshorthaircats 7 місяців тому

    we should stop overeating

  • @BLOODKINGbro
    @BLOODKINGbro Рік тому

    After watching my ice cream melt. I knew then that global warming was a thing.

  • @bryce4071
    @bryce4071 Рік тому +3

    First!

  • @latenighter1965
    @latenighter1965 Рік тому

    So, they know they can take the microbes from sturdy plants to not so sturdy, so just start taking all the sturdy ones, preferably ones that grow faster then others, take the plants, destroy them to get the microbes in mass quantities and use them on the plants that need them, while new sturdy ones are growing. just keep using the method because they grow fast, and can make the most microbes in a shorter amount of time.

  • @kellydalstok8900
    @kellydalstok8900 Рік тому +2

    The best solution is,of course, fewer humans. But too many of us are still having a lot of children. Last week in Ireland I saw a young family with six children, despite all the progress in allowing birth control and abortion. Since the youngest, twins, were still babies, there may still be some more to come. We are HUMANS not rabbits.

    • @kaleiam6246
      @kaleiam6246 Рік тому +1

      I have chosen to not have children.

    • @Izik8890
      @Izik8890 Рік тому +1

      Considering the fact we waste around half of the food we produce - the answer could also be to not waste food

  • @carnsoaks1
    @carnsoaks1 Рік тому

    How can many needy places get these tools? Paying, money, lots of money, lots and lots of money.

  • @jsiders7935
    @jsiders7935 Рік тому

    There is so much wrong with this article. Disappointed

  • @kaleiam6246
    @kaleiam6246 Рік тому +1

    Can you make a video on covid and chemotherapy patients? My parents won't get vaccinated because they believe some bivalent vaccine conspiracy theory - among other untruths. They are supposed to come help me out during my chemo treatment for the next 5 months!

  • @erikhoryza9068
    @erikhoryza9068 Рік тому +1

    I F**KING LOVE SCIENCE. NEXT STOP: MARS.

  • @alexhurst3986
    @alexhurst3986 Рік тому +1

    Fewer mouths to feed would solve a host of the planets problems.

    • @Jay-ho9io
      @Jay-ho9io Рік тому +1

      Cool.
      Buy a bullet, rent a gun and while you're thinking globally...act locally.

    • @FunnyFany
      @FunnyFany Рік тому +2

      Well what are you waiting for? Pick a weapon and get to work

    • @orishaeshu1084
      @orishaeshu1084 Рік тому +1

      Nope, the population is stabilizing at 10 billion.

  • @saiynoq6745
    @saiynoq6745 Рік тому +1

    It’s amazing when scientists catch up with things people have known for a dam long time companion planting isn’t anything new at all. Just one of those things that these people to prove in order to believe it’s a thing. Well I’m happy for them maybe now we can go back to growing food like this and drop this b/s that isn’t working. Yea yes I know we get large amounts of food now but it is t quality and people are dying

  • @TheMiczu
    @TheMiczu Рік тому +1

    2070 video topic - ground microbial invasive species, humans never learn

    • @hitreset0291
      @hitreset0291 Рік тому

      Yes. Just destroy all food sources that do not taste like cardboard.

  • @goreobsessed2308
    @goreobsessed2308 Рік тому

    We should just start limiting the people it's easier

  • @35906
    @35906 Рік тому

    No, climate change shows plants will have longer food growing seasons.

    • @orishaeshu1084
      @orishaeshu1084 Рік тому +2

      That also means pests and diseases have favourable conditions too. You forgot about reality.

    • @35906
      @35906 Рік тому

      @@orishaeshu1084Actually pull up the real data, go through the numbers yourself, line by line, then talk to me about reality.

    • @orishaeshu1084
      @orishaeshu1084 Рік тому +2

      @@35906 I did do that. That’s why I commented. You don’t know everything little man.

    • @kelliott7864
      @kelliott7864 Рік тому +1

      That's true in areas farther from the equator, but tropical and subtropical areas will see declines in production. Subsistence farmers in tropical areas may lose their farms and their families may starve.