User:Symborg/Methylobacterium symbioticum

Methylobacterium symbioticum is a gram-negative bacterium (-), endophytic and photosynthetic, capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen. It is characterized by an efficient ability to provide nitrogen to the plant from the air naturally through the nitrogenase complex. This microorganism achieves a rapid colonization of the phyllosphere of the plant in initial stages of development, settling inside the photosynthetic cells

The bacterium has the ability to convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonium (NH4+) through a process governed by the enzymatic nitrogenase complex, allowing the plant to metabolize it directly into amino acid constantly throughout the growing season.

Isolated and characterized by the company Symborg, this species has been used to develop BlueN, the first nitrogen biofertilizer registered worldwide that allows nitrogen to be supplied in a biological way in most crops of agronomic interest .​ This has allowed farmers worldwide and under different conditions to improve the efficiency of nitrogen use and reduce the environmental impact associated with nitrogen fertilization of crops.

On the other hand, the biological fixation of atmospheric nitrogen of Methylobacterium symbioticum ensures that the plant does not need to absorb all the nitrogen via its roots, reducing the energy expenditure of the enzymatic nitrate reductase pathway since it would convert less nitrate into ammonium within the plant. In this way, the plant can use the energy saved in its plant growth.

Methylobacterium symbioticum also has other positive effects on the plant. Thanks to the consumption of methanol generated in the degradation of the methyl groups present in the pectins, it allows slowing down the aging of the plant cells and lengthening the effective photosynthetic period.

The bacterium Methylobacterium symbioticum formulated in BlueN nitrogen biofertlizer promotes a profitable and more sustainable nitrogen fertilization program, as it helps protect the environment from the pollution resulting from the use of nitrogen as the first nutritional element of crops after water.

The effectiveness of the strain has been validated globally in a wide variety of crops, such as extensive crops, horticultural or citrus crops.