Lab-grown microbes harden desert sand and buy time for plantings
Feb 23rd 2026
Chinese teams sprayed cyanobacteria on sand near the Taklamakan Desert to form living soil crusts that stabilize dunes in months, reduce wind erosion, and trap moisture and nutrients, while long-term protection and local strains remain essential.
- Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences applied lab-grown cyanobacteria on straw checkerboards near the Taklamakan Desert.
- Treated plots developed a dark biological soil crust that hardened and stabilized sand within 10 to 16 months.
- Controlled lab tests showed manufactured crusts reduced wind-driven soil loss by more than 90%.
- The crust traps moisture and concentrates nutrients near the surface, improving conditions for seedlings.
- A mature crust that resists disturbance typically takes two to three years and later includes lichens and moss.
- Teams prefer culturing local microbial strains because they handle heat, salt, and drought better than imported ones.
- The method helps restoration but does not fix underlying causes of desertification such as overgrazing and water misuse.
- Findings draw on trials and a 59-year recovery record and are published in Soil Biology and Biochemistry.