空气中氮素是一项取之不尽,用之不竭的自然资源。目前,我们已知豆科植物的根系能利用固氮菌固定空气中的氮素,提高土壤肥力。怎样使谷类作物如小麦、玉米、水稻和高粱等也能象豆科作物那样,自动固氮为作物提供肥料?这是不少科研工作者长期在思考的问题和向往的美景。 下面刊载的三篇报导,揭示了谷类作物固氮的科研工作已迈出了可喜的一步。 解决生物固氮问题是科研工作的一项复杂任务,也是有广阔发展前途的一项工作。人们称生物固氮是“无烟无害而又最经济的氮肥厂”,它是在常温常压下进行的,用不着象生产氮化肥那样需要厂房设备和消耗大量的能源与其它原料;同时也不会象施用氮化肥那样有产生污染土壤、水源,破坏土壤结构的弊病;还可以大大节省拉运氮化肥的运输力和施肥的人力。由此可见生物固氮对发展农业生产是一件多有意义的事情。 摆在我们农垦科研工作者面前的任务,不仅要扩大作物种类的固氮能力,而且当前更迫切要解决苜蓿、草木栖和其它一些豆科作物植株根瘤发育不良或不长根瘤的问题。本刊今年第一期中:《大力提高科学种田的水平》的综述中已提到了这一点。我们要尽快采取措施提高豆科作物的固氮功能,同时也要逐步探索谷类作物和其它作物如棉花、油菜等固氮问题,以期今后在豆科、禾本科等作物中? Nitrogen in the air is an inexhaustible source of natural resources. At present, we know that the root system of legumes can use nitrogen-fixing bacteria to fix nitrogen in the air and improve soil fertility. How to make nitrogen-fixing crops, such as wheat, corn, rice and sorghum, also provide nitrogen-fixing crops as fertilizers, as is the case of leguminous crops? This is a long-time thinking issue and longing for many researchers. The three articles published below reveal a welcome step forward in the scientific work on nitrogen fixation of cereals. Solving the problem of biological nitrogen fixation is a complicated task of scientific research and also a work with broad prospects for development. It is claimed that biological nitrogen fixation is a “smokeless, harmless and economical nitrogenous fertilizer plant”. It is carried out under normal temperature and pressure without the need of plant equipment and consumption of large amounts of energy and other raw materials as nitrogenous fertilizer. At the same time It will not produce the pollution of soil and water as the use of nitrogen fertilizers, and destroy the disadvantages of soil structure. It also can greatly save the manpower for transporting nitrogen fertilizer and fertilizing. This shows that biological nitrogen fixation is a more meaningful thing for the development of agricultural production. The task before our laborers and researchers is not only to expand the nitrogen fixation ability of crop species but also urgently to tackle the problem of nodular dysplasia or non-nodule growth in alfalfa, herbivores and other legume crops. This issue has been mentioned in the first issue of this issue in the review of “Vigorously Improving the Level of Scientific Farming”. We must take measures to improve the nitrogen fixation function of leguminous crops as soon as possible. At the same time, we must also gradually explore nitrogen fixation problems such as cereal crops and other crops such as cotton and rapeseed so as to make future applications in crops such as legumes and grasses.