In the Mexican mountains, there's an ancient corn with huge cobs and crazy aerial roots that drip slime, which could revolutionize agriculture by reducing the need for toxic chemicals. Locals have been growing this unique corn for over 2,000 years. Another amazing plant is bamboo, which is a food staple in countries like China, Japan, and the Philippines, and even used in traditional dishes in Bangladesh. Then there's the Cinchona tree, whose bark is used to make quinine, a cure for malaria. The Quechua people of Peru were the ones who taught newcomers how to use Cinchona bark effectively. Preview photo credit:
Sierra Mixe: By Allen Van Deynze, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Journal.pbio.2006352.g002_cropped.png
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Sierra Mixe maize secret: by Allen Van Deynze, Pablo Zamora, Pierre-Marc Delaux, Cristobal Heitmann, Dhileepkumar Jayaraman, Shanmugam Rajasekar, Danielle Graham, Junko Maeda, Donald Gibson, Kevin D. Schwartz, Alison M. Berry, Srijak Bhatnagar, Guillaume Jospin, Aaron Darling, Richard Jeannotte, Javier Lopez, Bart C. Weimer, Jonathan A. Eisen, Howard-Yana Shapiro, Jean-Michel Ané, Alan B. Bennett, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Journal.pbio.2006352.g002_cropped.png
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Sierra Mixe: By Allen Van Deynze, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Journal.pbio.2006352.g002_cropped.png
Animation is created by Bright Side.
Credit:
Sungapitha: by ধ্ৰুৱজ্যোতি শৰ্ম্মা, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sungapitha.JPG
Sierra Mixe maize secret: by Allen Van Deynze, Pablo Zamora, Pierre-Marc Delaux, Cristobal Heitmann, Dhileepkumar Jayaraman, Shanmugam Rajasekar, Danielle Graham, Junko Maeda, Donald Gibson, Kevin D. Schwartz, Alison M. Berry, Srijak Bhatnagar, Guillaume Jospin, Aaron Darling, Richard Jeannotte, Javier Lopez, Bart C. Weimer, Jonathan A. Eisen, Howard-Yana Shapiro, Jean-Michel Ané, Alan B. Bennett, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Journal.pbio.2006352.g002_cropped.png
Rice cooked in bamboo pipe: by Chiring chandan, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:%E0%A6%9A%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%99%E0%A6%BE_%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%B2_%E0%A7%A7.jpg
Animation is created by Bright Side.
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FunTranscript
00:00In the Mexican mountains, there is this ancient species of corn that's twice as big as your average cob and has some crazy aerial roots.
00:10These roots drip a slime that could change the game for agriculture and finally put an end to all those toxic chemicals.
00:18The locals have been growing this mysterious maze for over 2,000 years, passing down the tradition from generation to generation.
00:27A scientist in Oaxaca heard about this supersized corn and decided to check it out.
00:33When he finally saw it, he couldn't believe his eyes.
00:37This crop was like something out of a myth, towering at 16 to 18 feet tall with weird fingers sticking out from its stalks.
00:46And get this, those fingers were dripping with a thick, gooey slime that acted like a self-fertilizer.
00:54No more adding artificial fertilizers to the soil.
00:59It's a big deal because most cereal grains can't fix their own nitrogen levels, so farmers have to douse them in nitrogen-rich fertilizers.
01:08Not only is this bad for the environment, but it's also expensive.
01:13But with this new corn slime, we might be able to solve a systemic problem in our food sources.
01:20It's like a biological hack that could revolutionize agriculture as we know it.
01:25The locals call this super plant Olatón corn.
01:29By the way, it was basically a secret to the rest of Mexico until the 80s.
01:34It took another 30 years for a team of researchers to study this super cool maze.
01:40They knew they needed the community's help, so they built a lab right where the locals could pitch in.
01:46The corn secretes a slime that has bacteria that can convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form the plant can absorb.
01:54It means it can draw 80% of its nitrogen from the air.
01:58Basically, the holy grail of agriculture.
02:02But of course, some people had to ruin the fun by arguing over who owns the rights to this magical corn.
02:09It's called biopiracy, and it's not cool.
02:13The indigenous people who have been taking care of this crop for centuries are saying,
02:17hey, this isn't just a crop, it's part of our culture and heritage.
02:22Unfortunately, the Olatón corn isn't being used yet because it can't keep up with modern industrial standards.
02:30But scientists are working on crossbreeding it with other varieties to see if they can get the best of both worlds.
02:37They've already cut growing time in half and increased nitrogen absorption to 40%.
02:43But they estimate it'll take a few more generations to stabilize a hybrid corn.
02:49Imagine if we could use atmospheric nitrogen for other cereal grains like rice or wheat.
02:56That would be huge for reducing artificial fertilizers that harm our environment.
03:01It's crazy to think that a little-known maze from a misty mountain in Mexico could potentially solve world hunger.
03:08It just goes to show that diversity is essential to our survival.
03:14Speaking of plants that can help us survive in the future,
03:18did you know that Mars might be the perfect place for leafy green vegetables to grow?
03:23The soil there is packed with iron, which means our favorite greens could thrive.
03:28And with Earth's future looking a little uncertain, it's not a bad idea to start thinking about other planets we could live on.
03:35Unfortunately, most planets are too hot to sustain life.
03:39Seriously, Venus can get up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit. That's hotter than metal melts.
03:45But Mars is different.
03:47Even though it's a cold desert now, billions of years ago it was covered in water and maybe even life.
03:55Scientists are already studying which plants could grow on Martian soil.
03:59And it turns out that lettuce, onions, kale, peas, garlic, and even dandelions
04:05– yep, those weeds in your backyard – could all potentially survive there.
04:10Spinach is another great option, thanks to all that iron in the soil.
04:15Who knows, maybe one day we'll all be snacking on Martian microgreens in case Olatun corn can't cover all our needs.
04:25One more super plant that can help us in the future is bamboo.
04:30And while other countries like China, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia are all about chowing down on those delicious bamboo shoots,
04:39they're also a local fave here in the islands.
04:42In Bangladesh, they even have a traditional dish that's made with bamboo.
04:47No wonder they call it the king of vegetables.
04:50It's delicious and packed with health benefits.
04:53Plus, just half a cup has 11% of your daily potassium needs.
04:59If you're lucky enough to find fresh bamboo shoots, look for ones that are firm and heavy with a wide base.
05:05And don't let them turn green.
05:07That means they've been out in the sun too long and will taste bitter.
05:11If you're feeling adventurous, you can even harvest your own shoots, let's say in Hawaii.
05:18But bamboo is not only about food.
05:21It boasts a lot of cool things.
05:24It's the fastest growing plant on Earth.
05:26Some types of bamboo can grow over a few feet in just one day.
05:31More than an inch every hour, people!
05:34Bamboo is also totally sustainable and renewable because it spreads like wildfire.
05:40A bamboo forest grows way faster than a tree forest.
05:43So it's basically the superhero of the plant kingdom.
05:47Now some folks say that bamboo can produce up to 35% more oxygen than a bunch of trees put together.
05:54Oh, and get this.
05:56Bamboo can replace wood in almost anything you can think of.
06:00Seriously, there are thousands of bamboo products out there that are just as good as their wooden counterparts.
06:06We're talking paper and pulp products, flooring, musical instruments, furniture, construction materials, you name it.
06:13Bamboo's got it covered.
06:17On to some serious stuff.
06:19According to British researchers, we're barely scratching the surface of what plants can do for us.
06:25First up, we've got super plants.
06:27Did you know that the veggies on your plate were once just regular old crops?
06:32But out in the wild, there are some seriously tough plants that have developed resistance to all sorts of pests and diseases.
06:40Plant breeders are working to crossbreed these wild crops with our domesticated ones,
06:45making them just as resilient while still giving us all the benefits we love.
06:50It's a global effort, with countries like Brazil, China, and India leading the charge.
06:56And with the world population set to hit over 9 billion, these super plants could be a total lifesaver.
07:04Next on the list, medicinal plants.
07:07We've known for ages that plants can heal us, but are we really making the most of it?
07:12There are over 28,000 plant species that have medicinal uses, but less than 16% of them are actually being used in medicine.
07:20That's crazy. The industry is worth billions.
07:24And countries like Germany are already embracing herbal remedies.
07:28But we need to be careful. There are plenty of dodgy products out there that could do more harm than good.
07:34Then we have bananas on steroids.
07:37Okay, not really. But did you know that we could actually make bananas bigger and better?
07:42By tweaking their genes.
07:44Don't worry, it's all safe and above board.
07:47Scientists can create bananas that are resistant to disease and pests, and can even grow in harsher climates.
07:53That means more food for everyone.
07:57Last but not least, it turns out that the flammability of plants is super important when it comes to preventing wildfires and all the damage they can cause.
08:07But don't worry, fire is actually a natural process in some ecosystems.
08:12The scientists are on a mission to identify plant families that can withstand fires and create landscapes that are more resilient.
08:19These plants could even be used as natural firebreaks, saving valuable resources.
08:27Now meet cinchona. Not your typical food plant, but it's got some serious game.
08:33This tree bark is the secret ingredient to making quinine, which is used to cure malaria.
08:39And get this, it was actually the Quechua people of Peru who schooled the newcomers on how to use it.
08:46There are some wild stories about cinchona out there.
08:49Like, have you heard about the sick lions chewing on the bark?
08:53Or the febrile lion that drank from a pond with cinchona bark and was instantly cured?
08:59But let's be real, these legends are probably just people trying to make an already cool story even cooler.
09:05Anyway, cinchona is a hero, but not all the heroes wear capes.