She Studied How Rhizobia Interact with Plant Roots to Provide Nitrogen and Boosted Soybean Production in Brazil

 She Studied How Rhizobia Interact with Plant Roots to Provide Nitrogen 

              and Boosted Soybean Production in Brazil

In May 2025, Mariangela Hungria, a Brazilian microbiologist, awarded the prestigious World Food Prize for her transformative research on sustainable farming. 

The prize, valued at $500,000, is often called the “Nobel Prize of Agriculture” and recognizes remarkable contributions to global food security.

Hungria’s work focuses on a natural process called biological nitrogen fixation. Instead of relying on chemical fertilizers, she studied how soil bacteria, particularly rhizobia, interact with plant roots to provide nitrogen, an essential nutrient for crops. 

Her research has enabled farmers to maintain high crop yields while protecting the environment.

Over her 40-year career, Hungria has applied her discoveries directly in the field. She convinced farmers that using microbial solutions would not only sustain their production but also reduce environmental harm. 

Her innovations have particularly boosted soybean production, helping Brazil surpass the U.S. to become the world’s largest soybean producer.

 Beyond soybeans, she developed microbial inoculants for maize, wheat, rice, beans, and pasture grasses, improving yields across a range of crops.

By replacing or reducing chemical fertilizers, Hungria’s methods have also mitigated greenhouse gas emissions, prevented water pollution, and reduced the need to clear new farmland, preserving forests.

The World Food Prize, founded in 1987 by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman Borlaug, has recognized 55 scientists and agricultural leaders over the years. 

Hungria will formally receive her award in October 2025 in Iowa, U.S., at a global gathering of agriculture experts.

So far, four Indians have been honored with the World Food Prize:

M.S. Swaminathan: Received the prize in 1987 for his work in the Green Revolution in India, focusing on developing high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice.

Dr. Surinder K. Vasal: Awarded in 2000 for his research and leadership in improving the productivity and nutritional content of maize.

Dr. Sanjaya Rajaram: Awarded in 2014 for developing 480 varieties of disease-resistant wheat.

Dr. Rattan Lal: Received the prize in 2020 for his soil-centric approach to sustainable food production

 

 

 Reference: The Hindu News paper, May 2025