Some plants make their own fertiliser. This trick is limited to one specific plant family, not to leafy vegetables in general.
🏛️ Must Know
Which of These Six Plants Actually Fix Nitrogen
- Alfalfa Fixes Nitrogen Alfalfa is a legume that fixes nitrogen through a symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium bacteria in its roots.
- Chickpea Fixes Nitrogen Chickpea, an annual legume, also fixes nitrogen the same way, via root-nodule bacteria.
- Clover Fixes Nitrogen Clover fixes nitrogen too, through the same Rhizobium symbiosis common to legumes.
- Amaranth, Purslane, and Spinach Do Not None of these three are legumes. They require nitrogen from the soil but cannot fix it themselves.
Good to Know
📘 Good to Know
How Nitrogen Fixation Actually Works
- A Root-Bacteria Partnership Legumes host Rhizobium bacteria in root nodules. The bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form the plant can use.
- Why Farmers Rotate Crops This is why farmers rotate legumes with other crops, since legumes naturally enrich the soil with nitrogen.
- Not All Legumes Behave Identically Alfalfa, chickpea, and clover are all legumes, but each fixes different amounts of nitrogen depending on soil and climate.
📝 Previous Year Questions
UPSC CSP 2022 — Which of These Six Are Nitrogen-Fixing
- UPSC 2022 Alfalfa, chickpea, and clover are nitrogen-fixing legumes. Amaranth, purslane, and spinach are not. See UPSC CSP 2022 GS Paper I, Q48. View this question.
Test Yourself
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Great to Know
🌟 Great to Know
Why This Matters for Sustainable Farming
- Cuts Fertiliser Need Growing nitrogen-fixing legumes can reduce how much synthetic nitrogen fertiliser a farm needs to apply.
- A Genuine Climate Benefit Less synthetic fertiliser also means fewer nitrous oxide emissions, tying this fact directly to climate policy.
- Connects to Other PYQ Facts This same legume-nitrogen link also underlies UPSC questions on intercropping and sustainable agriculture practices.
Beyond the answer
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