Researchers have discovered that plants can absorb essential nutrients directly from atmospheric dust, challenging the long-held belief that they rely solely on soil-based root uptake, Israel's Ben-Gurion University of the Negev said, El.kz reports citing Xinhua.
The study, published in the journal New Phytologist, found that leaves can absorb minerals such as iron and phosphorus from airborne dust.
In Mediterranean field experiments simulating dust events, researchers found that plants exposed to dust showed higher levels of these nutrients.
The team explained that the slightly acidic surface of leaves helps break down dust particles, releasing absorbable nutrients.
By combining field data with global estimates, the researchers found that this process can make a meaningful contribution to plant nutrition.
In some regions, leaf-absorbed nutrients accounted for up to 17 percent of iron intake and 12 percent of phosphorus intake relative to soil sources.
During heavy dust events, airborne nutrient absorption can even match or exceed soil-derived amounts.
The findings suggested that this previously overlooked mechanism plays an important role in ecosystems, particularly in areas with poor soil, and may become even more significant as climate change alters dust patterns worldwide.
