In a breakthrough that could help secure the global food supply, MIT researchers have found that lanthanides, a class of rare earth elements, can make staple crops such as corn, soybeans, barley, and chickpeas more resilient to extreme sun exposure, MIT News reported.
The research, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, shows that a single nanoscale dose of lanthanides applied to seeds strengthens chlorophyll by replacing its magnesium center, effectively regreening the pigment and enhancing its ability to convert sunlight into energy.
This means crops could better withstand damaging UV radiation as warming climates lead to longer, hotter, sunnier growing seasons.
“This is a first step to better understand how these elements work in plants,” MIT associate professor Benedetto Marelli said. “We want to provide new ways to protect our plants.”
Lanthanides are already widely used as fertilizer micronutrients in countries including China, where they are applied to millions of hectares of farmland each year to increase yields, in addition to their use in MRI, lasers, and solar cells.
But until now, researchers didn’t fully understand how they interact with plant tissues. By delivering lanthanides directly to seeds instead of soil, farmers may be able to unlock their benefits more precisely and with fewer inputs, potentially lowering costs for consumers and reducing runoff pollution.
This discovery also has broader implications; improving plant health with minimal chemical use can cut back on toxic leaf sprays and microplastic-generating treatments. A more resilient food system helps shield vulnerable communities from climate-driven crop failures, a significant win for global food security.
This also helps reduce the use of commercial fertilizers and pesticides that can contaminate drinking water, leading to respiratory issues, cardiovascular disease, and endocrine system disruptions.
Lanthanides are typically considered low-value byproducts of rare earth mining, meaning this innovation could also diversify their economic uses and stabilize supply chains for other critical clean technologies such as magnets, LEDs, and solar cells. And if we improve recycling them from electronics, the environmental benefits could be even greater.
“Lanthanides are already widely used in agriculture,” first author Giorgio Rizzo said. “We hope this study provides evidence that allows more conscious use of them and also a new way to apply them through seed treatments.”
This is just another example in a series of recent developments from the scientific community — such as vertical farming, air-zapped fertilizer, and FUN-powered legumes — that could future-proof the global food supply.
The research group hopes to expand into field and greenhouse trials to confirm results under real-world conditions. If the findings hold, lanthanide-based seed treatments could become an accessible tool for farmers worldwide within a few years, keeping crops greener, healthier, and more productive in a warming world.
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