By Andi Anderson
Scientists are making progress in developing heat-resilient crops to tackle the growing threat of climate change.
According to a new review in the journal Science, laboratory and field studies show that changing how plants grow and process sunlight can help them survive hotter temperatures.
Researchers are now able to adjust photosynthesis—the way plants use sunlight to grow—and change leaf traits like orientation and reflectivity. These methods help improve plant efficiency, reduce water loss, and minimize damage from high heat.
Donald Ort, Stephen Long, and Carl Bernacchi, researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, explain that although these advances are promising, bringing them to farms takes time and money. “The breeding cycle for a conventional trait can be 10 to 12 years,” Ort says.
Gene editing can be faster, but strict safety tests and legal requirements make the process costly. According to Long, “For a single transgenic trait, it costs about $115 million to get it deregulated and takes more than 16 years.”
However, there are lower-cost options. One promising method uses DNA editing to increase the expression of a plant’s own genes without adding foreign material. This avoids many regulations and speeds up the process.
Some techniques under study include changing the angle of leaves for better light use, making leaves reflect more heat, and managing water loss through leaf pores. Improving a key enzyme called Rubisco, which helps turn carbon dioxide into food, is also a focus.
These advances could help protect food supply as rising temperatures may cut major crop yields by 6%-16% by 2050—just when food demand is expected to rise by over 50%.
Long says, “There are real opportunities to future-proof crops. But it will take serious effort.”
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Categories: Illinois, Education