By Dr. Walter Goldstein
I recently had the opportunity to join Vinnie Trometter, Policy Fellow at the Organic Farming Research Foundation, and staff from Congressman Bryan Steil’s (WI-01) office to discuss how several organic agricultural research programs help the Mandaamin Institute research revolutionary, nutritious, nitrogen-fixing organic corn varieties.
Breeding Corn for a Food-Secure Future
I founded the Mandaamin Institute back in 2011 to study how to breed corn that does not require fertilizers and is more nutritious and sustainable than the corn hybrids controlled by large multinational corporations. Our goal is to change the paradigm of corn production by showing that you can breed organic corn varieties that have similar yields to conventional corn and are competitive against weeds without the need to use synthetic fertilizers or herbicides. Our research shows that this is possible.
Our corn plants have been selected to partner with beneficial bacteria and mycorrhizae. Their tissues are strongly colonized with bacteria in the roots, epidermis, plant hairs, vascular tissues, silks, pollen, glumes, and embryos. Bacteria are passed from one generation to the next through the seed, and those bacteria actively colonize the plant and are extruded into the root zone through the root tip and root hairs.
Through this, we have found that not only does root branching and root health improve, but nitrogen uptake increases substantially. This is because soil bacteria are taken up by the plant through the growing root system and then multiplied and consumed inside the plant as a result of the active oxidants produced by the plant. The dialogue with bacteria increases vitality and nutrient uptake and causes priming of the plant for stress and disease resistance. We have evidence that the defense systems in the root are dialed down to foster bacteria, but they are dialed up in the tops, which accumulate microbial nitrogen. Furthermore, we have isotopic evidence that some of our varieties are fixing substantial quantities of nitrogen from the air.
Some of our inbred varieties and hybrids also compete better with weeds and are less strongly affected by them than conventional varieties. Furthermore, yields under fertilized conditions have been about 10% less, but are generally higher than for conventional inbred corn under unfertilized conditions.
We have also found that our plants have higher nutritional value (more methionine, lysine, minerals, and carotenoids) than conventional corn. This translates to better quality poultry feed. Unlike traditional poultry feed, which is generally composed of a mixture of corn and soybeans, Mandaamin corn varieties are naturally high in protein and contain generated amino acids, usually supplemented in soybean-mixed poultry feeds. The enhanced value of the feed means 9% less soybean meal and no synthetic methionine is required. This allows poultry feeders to pay a 10% premium for the grain without increasing their overall feed costs, resulting in higher prices for egg producers.
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