Salk Tests Deep-Rooted SoybeansSalk Tests Deep-Rooted Soybeans

Salk Institute researchers are field-testing genetically edited soybeans with deeper and larger root systems in Illinois, with additional sites planned in Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa. The trials will assess drought performance, crop yields, root growth, soil-carbon storage, and the durability of carbon retained underground. Laboratory-based estimates suggest the crops could store about one additional metric ton of carbon dioxide per hectare annually, but field results, possible agronomic trade-offs, permanence, and large-scale adoption remain uncertain.