Archetype 4 – Wheat Trap
This archetype combines the features of the carnivorous plants with an important monocot – wheat – to improve crop nutrition and water efficiency in higher CO2 levels. An outcome of intensive agriculture and climate change might be increasing rates of nitrogen and phosphate deficiency in the soil.
Pesticides have been used in wheat bred to limit crop damage. Carnivorous plants have evolved to trap insects from which they obtain essential nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Combining the two plants maximises yield while decreasing the use of pesticides and fertilisers.