While corn is an efficient starch producer, the protein it produces is of low nutritional quality and, for many of the harvested crop’s uses, not needed. However, this protein requires tremendous fertilizer inputs to produce. The CERCA project, led by Dr. Edward Buckler, is using a combination of modeling, genetics, physiology and agronomy to reduce fertilizer needs while maximizing starch yields by optimizing the plant’s ability to recycle nitrogen. To achieve these goals, the researchers are focusing on two strategies – the first taps into the higher level of natural soil nitrogen and light available in spring, and the second reduces the protein in corn grain, which lowers nitrogen demand and provides an opportunity for the plant to return nitrogen to the soil for the next season.
For the crop to use the natural nitrogen available in spring, it needs to be planted a few weeks to a month earlier than it currently is, but this risks damage from frost and cold temperatures. Corn and its wild relatives have genetic variation that can allow cold tolerance, and this project is finding and testing this variation to enable earlier planting, which would have additional benefits to yield and planting and harvesting flexibility. In addition, the project also aims to reduce the low nutritional quality protein in corn and foster the plant’s ability to return unused nitrogen to the soil at the end of the season by tapping into the genetics found in corn’s perennial relatives. Overall, the aim is to reduce nitrogen losses by over 50%, which would reduce fertilizer requirements, water pollution and GHG emissions by similar levels or more.