nitrogen-fixing

American  

[nahy-truh-juhn-fik-sing] / ˈnaɪ trə dʒənˌfɪk sɪŋ /

adjective

1. involved in or aiding the process of nitrogen fixation.

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nitrogen fixing Cultural  

1. The conversion of atmospheric nitrogen (which plants cannot absorb) into forms of nitrogen that plants can absorb. Bacteria in the topsoil carry out the conversion.

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Etymology

Origin of nitrogen-fixing

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

"For decades, scientists have been trying to develop cereal crops that produce active root nodules, or trying to colonize cereals with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, without much success. We used a different approach," Blumwald said.

From Science Daily

The researchers describe a process in which phosphorus delivered by upwelling deep water and nitrogen supplied by nitrogen-fixing bacteria together fuel the blooms seen over past decades.

From Science Daily

Folk said the single origin idea would suggest that the genetic engineering of crops, such as rice and maize, to work with nitrogen-fixing bacteria is a "lower hurdle" to cross.

From Science Daily

The results in Nature Communications find that symbiotic, nitrogen-fixing bacteria can ensure dominance among soil microbes due to its signalling-based communication with the legume plant host.

From Science Daily

"For years, we have been finding gene fragments encoding the nitrogen-fixing nitrogenase enzyme, which appeared to belong to one particular non-cyanobacterial nitrogen fixer," says Marcel Kuypers, lead author on the study.

From Science Daily