Improving crop productivity is on the United Nations' list of Sustainable Development Goals for the 21st century, and a recent discovery by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers may be able to help.
Photosynthesis is the well-known process in which plants convert light energy into chemical energy they can use to grow. Scientists have known that seedlings have photoreceptors that trigger growth when enough sustainable light has been detected, but now they've targeted where these are located, as Phys.org reported.
"For the first time, we realized that the effect of these photoreceptors is not everywhere along the stem and that different photoreceptors control different regions of the stem," as Edgar Spalding, a professor emeritus of botany at UW–Madison, explained in the piece.
By using genetic manipulation, detailed photographs, and machine learning, the team was able to pinpoint the regions on seedlings where each photoreceptor exerted its stem growth capability.
Stand establishment, which is the healthy early development of plants taking root, is an important indicator of a crop's potential, as the report explained. Understanding this process is a valuable tool for researchers and farmers looking to boost productivity.
Once seedlings grow tall enough for their photoreceptors to detect sunlight, the photosynthesis process begins, helping them grow fully using a limited energy reserve. Factors such as wind, foraging wildlife, and other natural events can serve to recover nascent sprouts with soil, blocking photoreceptors and seemingly ending the growth process.
The UW-Madison researchers found that a photoreceptor called cryptochrome 1 (cry1) not only controls stem growth but also retains some energy as an additional backup. If growth is halted due to a lack of sunlight, cry1 can use this reserve to help the stem elongate until it's above the soil again.
Genetic modification of vulnerable crops to enhance the role of cry1 could make them more resilient to environmental factors, and help retrigger growth as needed. This could prove a useful tool in improving crop yields and resilience.
Extreme weather, drought, and intense heat triggered by an increase in planet-warming gases have been impacting crop production across the globe. The U.N. has stated that in 2023, over 700 million people experienced hunger, which is one out of every 11 people on the planet.
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Not buying food I don't need 🧐 Moderate to severe food insecurity has affected over 2 billion people, and with projected population growth, demand for food is expected to rise by 70 to 100% by 2050, according to the USDA.
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However, through scientific research, we've begun to blaze a path forward toward reducing food insecurity and boosting crop yields, even in inclement weather scenarios.
There have been other advances beyond cry1 that serve to protect crops from extreme heat, improve protein content, and boost crop yields. Even agrivoltaic projects, which use solar array land for crops and livestock, are helping us make inroads toward a more sustainable future.
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