Bacteria for Better Biofuels

Adding the right kind of bacteria, scientists find, can boost plant growth on poor quality soil.

With biofuel production on the rise, researchers are looking for ways to grow plants for use as energy sources without taking over fertile land currently used for food crops. One possible solution is to move biofuel feedstocks onto poor quality soil that is not ideal for agriculture, such as soils that lack nutrients, receive little rain or have been contaminated from previous industrial use. Now, scientists have found a unique way to increase the growth of one promising biofuel source on marginal land: just add bacteria.