MIT engineers create seeds with a special coating to resist drought

MIT has developed a new type of coating that is designed to help the seeds survive the conditions of drought. Researchers in the project say that as the world heats up, many arid regions where growing crops are already marginal, will be under a growing stress for food production. Heating temperatures and reduced returns could lead to a serious shortage of food in the future.

The MIT process protects the seeds of voltages incurred from the water shortage during the crucial germination phase and provides plants with additional nutrition at the same time. Researchers are currently testing the seed coating in Morocco, pointing out that it is simple and economical. Since the special process is cheap and easy to perform, it could be deployed widely in the regions issued.

The double layer coating is the direct result of the years of research by MIT scientists in the development of seed coatings that give seeds several benefits. Previously, researchers developed a seed coating that helped seeds to treat high salinity on the ground. Researchers say they wanted to make a coating that was specific to help the seeds survive droughts.

The new coating is inspired by natural coatings that some seeds, such as Chia and Basil, have nature. Protects the seeds when drying by providing a coating similar to a gel that is held at any moisture you find and wrap the seed with it. The inner layer of the coating helps to preserve microorganisms called rhizobacteria together with the nutrients to help grow the seeds. When the seeds are exposed to soil and water, microbes fix nitrogen in the soil that provide the seed with a fertilizer enriched with nitrogen.

Researchers in the project say that their idea was to provide multiple functions with a single seed coating. What they developed were going to the water jacket and rhizobacteria. Helping bacteria is particularly important because they are self-replicating microorganisms that solve nitrogen in the soil for plants which means farmers can reduce nitrogen-based fertilizers they use. Currently, a field of test seeds has been planted and is being done.