2024-01-28 20:37:04
The selection of plant characteristics has been closely linked to the population of bacteria, viruses and fungi that they shelter. The domestication of the green bean, which dates back 9,000 years in the Andes, has been analyzed by researchers. They have grown green and white bean seedsas well as their wild cousins, then used Genetic sequencing tools to examine populations of bacteria found in roots, stems and seeds. The results showed that the green and white beans attracted and promoted a bacterial population similar but distinct from that of their wild cousins.
The importance of bacteria in the composition of foods
Bacteria played a crucial role, influencing in particular the calcium content of beans. Selection of beans for culinary qualities indirectly led to the selection of specific populations of bacteria by the first Andean farmers, who were then microbiologists without knowing it.
These findings call into question the traditional approach to agriculture focused on the intrinsic characteristics of species, regardless of their interaction with the environment. The results highlight the importance of microbiota in plants and animals, highlighting the complex networks of alliances, partnerships and symbioses that shape life. This broad approach to the science of life transforms biology into a science of relationships and agriculture might reconsider its use of pesticides in the light of these new perspectives, both in consideration of respect for the food we consume and in concern for a certain health risk.
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#Microbes #unexpected #players #domestication #plants #vegetables