rhizobium
ry-ZOH-bee-um
Definition
A type of nitrogen-fixing soil bacterium that lives symbiotically in the root nodules of leguminous plants.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek words 'rhiza' meaning 'root' and 'bios' meaning 'life,' the term was coined in the late 19th century to describe these root-dwelling organisms.
In the news
In the article, the students discovered that rhizobium, typically exclusive to legumes like peas, could be used as a seed treatment to significantly boost the germination and growth rates of cereal crops.
Three schoolgirls in Kinsale pulled up a pea plant covered in warts and, instead of binning it, spent three years testing 13,000 seeds in a spare bedroom — the bacteria living in those warts made barley germinate 50% faster, and the adults who said it wouldn't
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com