Researchers from the University of Zurich report a striking finding: choosing plant mutations that permit neighbors to grow alongside each other can lift total yields by about 15 percent. The discovery, detailed in the journal PLOS Biology, adds a new layer to our understanding of plant cooperation and how it can be steered in agricultural systems to benefit farmers and food production.
Traditional evolutionary theory emphasizes competition, where individuals with the strongest genes tend to leave more offspring. That framework seems at odds with practical farming, where a crop is most productive when its members work together rather than aggressively outcompeting one another for light and space. In tightly spaced fields of crops like maize or wheat, excessive height in some plants can shade companions, reducing the photosynthetic area for the group and ultimately lowering the harvest. The Zurich team reframed this problem by exploring how cooperative traits might naturally emerge and be harnessed to improve stand-level yields rather than just individual vigor.
To tackle this, the researchers devised a system to sift through mutations that might promote cooperation rather than intense competition. They used a model plant and conducted controlled co-culture experiments, comparing lines carrying cooperative mutations with standard lines grown in proximity. The key observation was that when mutation carriers were grown together, the overall yield rose by about 15 percent. This enhancement appears to arise from a reduction in root competition: neighboring plants might allocate fewer resources toward aggressively monopolizing the root zone to seize nutrients, allowing more efficient shared uptake and resource distribution among the surrounding plants.
In practical terms, this work proposes a pathway to breed crops that can maximize yield by fostering beneficial social interactions within a canopy. The cooperative effect is not simply about making one plant more productive; it is about shifting how plants partition resources in a crowded root and shoot environment. As the authors note, the effect was observed under specific experimental conditions, but it points to a broader principle: that arranging for compatible mutation profiles could create more harmonious plant communities, potentially enhancing yield stability across varying field conditions. The study underscores that selection for cooperative traits may complement traditional improvements in pest resistance, drought tolerance, and nutrient use efficiency, contributing to more resilient agricultural systems in North America and beyond. Attribution: University of Zurich researchers and the PLOS Biology publication provide the core findings for this line of inquiry.