New study from Basel: Corn plants purify soil from arsenic

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The University of Basel announced on Monday that with this knowledge, corn plants that absorb particularly small amounts of arsenic can be grown.

Arsenic is a poisonous metalloid. Overexposure to arsenic is carcinogenic and can lead to neurological disorders. The toxic substance occurs naturally in many soils and water bodies, but others have previously been contaminated by mining or agriculture that used arsenic as a pesticide. Countries such as Bangladesh, Vietnam and China are particularly affected. But in Switzerland, as the university highlights, there are also individual hotspots where arsenic occurs naturally in above-average concentrations; for example in the territory of Liesberg BL.

Plants mix the toxin with phosphorus, an important nutrient. Since both substances behave chemically similar, arsenic is taken up by phosphorus transport channels in the roots of plants.

In their new research published in the journal “Pnas”, researchers led by Klaus Schläppi from the University of Basel and Matthias Erb from the University of Bern showed that corn protects itself against arsenic through so-called benzoxazinoids. Corn plants release this substance into the soil through their roots.

“There was evidence that maize absorbs less arsenic than other plant species,” Schläppi said in the statement. To find out why this is the case, researchers planted wild corn and maize plant varieties with genetic defects that inhibit the production of benzoxazinodies into arsenic-containing and arsenic-free soils.

Wild-type corn was shown to grow significantly better in arsenic-containing soils than corn that did not secrete the antidote. In addition, the protective effect of the antidote secreted by corn plants continued for a long time: The second generation of corn also benefited from the antidote secreted by the first generation.

According to researchers, it is not yet fully understood how this defense mechanism works. They suspect that benzoxazinoids, or antidotes, transform toxic arsenic so that it can no longer be absorbed by the roots.

(SDA)

Source : Blick