Not a pretty sight. Thankfully, scientists have found a way to trick plants into drought-tolerance Photo: Asif Akbar

US scientists have discovered a novel way to use genetic modification to ‘train’ crops to survive drought.

Associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Nevada’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources (CABNR) Ron Mittler collaborated with University of California, Davis scientists Rosa M. Rivero and Eduardo Blumwald on the two-year study.

Researchers stimulated the production of the hormone, cytokinin, which prevents senescence, in tobacco plants through genetic modification, ‘tricking’ them into ‘returning to life’ after a simulated drought of 15 days.

Get a free trial Agrow World Crop Protection News is the only newsletter of its kind, with each issue covering conventional agrochemicals, biopesticides, generic products, and GM crops > Subscribe for a free trial > Download Agrow Magazine

Plants often react strongly to environmental stress, which can cause problems for yields. “Annual plants quickly sacrifice everything – including their own lives – to produce a few viable seeds,” Mittler explains. “So essentially, we tricked the plants not to activate senescence.”

The team found the genetic modification produced a distinct difference. “Our control group did not recover from the stress and died,” Professor Mittler notes. “Our test groups [using cytokinin] survived.” The crops experienced vigorous growth after the drought, producing strong yields.

The next step would involve replicating the research in other annual crops, such as maize, wheat and rice, then working to apply the findings in the field.

Blog: You reap what you sow Organic farming or organic chemistry? More

The team has voiced optimism at the potential for helping produce crops tolerant to drought. “The impact could be in the billions of dollars – we’d certainly see food prices going down,” Mittler says. “But in Third World countries, for example, this research ultimately could save lives.”

> Not a subscriber? Subscribe

RELATED NEWS

Pioneer Hi-Bred hosts three-day drought-tolerance event
Canadian company patents drought protection technology
Drought-resistant rice in prospect
More Biotech news