Global warming poses a growing risk to farming and food security. Researchers are optimistic that growing wheat in dry conditions could become easier thanks to new genetic studies from the University of California, Davis (USA).
A multinational team of scientists has shown that optimizing the copy number of a specific gene set, which leads to longer root growth, enables wheat plants to access deeper soil moisture. The work reports that these plants accumulate more biomass and yield more grain, as described in a Nature Communications article.
The findings offer fresh tools for studying root architecture in wheat and for boosting drought resilience, says Gilad Gabay, a postdoctoral researcher in UC Davis’s Department of Plant Sciences and the paper’s lead author.
<h2 roots are key to better performance in drought
Roots play a crucial role in plant health, absorbing water and nutrients that support growth. This research provides a practical approach for engineering root systems in wheat to raise yields when water is scarce.
Recent efforts across several fronts have aimed to strengthen wheat production, yet losses from water stress remain a barrier. Plants capable of withstanding dry spells while maintaining higher yields will be essential to feeding a growing world as climates warm.
Before this work, the genetic factors shaping root structure in wheat were not well understood. Jorge Dubcovsky, project leader in Gabay’s lab, notes that the discovery of the OPRIII gene family and the realization that different copies influence root length mark a significant advance in breeding for drought tolerance.
<h2 jasmonic acid, a key factor
Duplications of the OPRIII genes lead to more production of jasmonic acid, a plant hormone that, among other roles, promotes lateral root growth. Researchers observed that varying the dosage of these genes produced different root architectures, offering a tangible means to tune root form to environmental needs, according to Dubcovsky.
The team used CRISPR gene-editing to remove certain OPRIII gene copies in wheat lines with shorter roots, achieving longer roots in those lines. Conversely, adding a rye chromosome lowered some wheat OPRIII gene copies and resulted in longer root systems. This demonstrates that precise genetic adjustments can shape root shape and function to better match drought conditions.
Researchers emphasize that adjusting the gene dose could enable the design of drought-adaptive root systems under different normal and stressed scenarios. Understanding the right gene combinations could help identify wheat varieties carrying natural variations and guide breeding programs to deliver drought-tolerant options to farmers in water-limited regions.
Reference work: Nature Communications article on the topic provides detailed diagrams and data illustrating root changes and their effects on water uptake and yield.
In summary, this line of research highlights how root biology and jasmonic acid signaling cooperate to shape wheat’s response to drought. The implications extend to breeding strategies aimed at sustaining grain production amid increasing water scarcity in Canada, the United States, and nearby regions. The study underscores the potential of combining modern gene editing with traditional breeding to reinforce global food security.
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Contact details of the environment department are not provided here. Researchers advocate for continued investigations into gene families like OPRIII to refine drought-resistance traits in staple crops.