Scientists develop more robust
crops
3rd
December 2017
Scientists
hope to bioengineer crops that can grow in harsh conditions
by unlocking the secrets of drought-resistant plants.
In
America, a team at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National
Laboratory (ORNL) has pinpointed genes that facilitate the
survival of plants like Kalanchoë, orchid and pineapple, in
‘semi-arid conditions’
Through
a type of photosynthesis called crassulacean acid metabolism process
– or CAM – plants close their pores in daytime and open them to take in carbon
dioxide at night.
“CAM is
a proven mechanism for increasing water-use efficiency in plants,” said Xiaohan
Yang, from ORNL. “As we reveal the building blocks that make up CAM
photosynthesis, we will be able to bioengineer the metabolic processes of
water-heavy crops such as rice, wheat, soybeans and poplar to accelerate their
adaptation to water-limited environments.”
The
findings, published in Nature Communications, follow
another breakthrough by scientists in Japan, earlier this year, who pioneered a strain
of drought resistant rice.
Both
important discoveries in offering solutions to the challenges of feeding a
growing population, at a time of mounting climate change pressures.
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