By integrating exotic DNA within wheat, yields were remarkably increased by as much as 50%. SciTechDaily reports how this is the case even in hot climates. This indicates how these modified crops surpass the others that do not have these exotic genes.
The Need For Crop Resilience Amidst Climate Change
Considering how temperatures have reached record-high levels, the new research grants needed insight regarding boosting crop resilience and protecting food supplies amidst the threat of climate change. The study was included in Communications Biology.
According to the Earlham Institute, field trials conducted in Mexico stress the significance of important crops being genetically diverse. This is especially so considering how selective breeding over decades has hampered the plants' abilities to adapt to global warming. As temperatures continue to rise and the weather becomes more extreme, the supply of key food crops is faced with uncertainties when it comes to meeting the demand from all over the world.
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Wheat: Global Calorie Source That is Vulnerable to Climate Change
Compared to other crops, wheat offers more calories worldwide. In fact, the Earlham Institute reports that around 20% of globally consumed calories are attributed to wheat.
Despite this, globally grown wheat has minimal genetic modifications. This makes the crop particularly vulnerable to climate change.
Study author, group leader, and professor Anthony Hall also expresses that there is uncertainty regarding whether present-day planted crops will still have the capacity to adapt to the weather of tomorrow. What makes things even harder is that coming up with variations may take a decade or more. Hence, it is important for specialists to quickly take action.
Genetically Modified Wheat Has 50% Higher Yield in Hotter Climates
Alongside the CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre), Earlham Institute conducted a field trial for two years within the Sonoar desert in Mexico. They looked into 149 various lines of wheat, which covered commonly used elite lines and also selectively bred ones. They did so by adding exotic DNA taken from the crops' wild relatives as well as Indian and Mexican landraces.
CIMMYT wheat physiology leader and study author Matthew Reynolds says that intersecting exotic materials into such elite lines is quite challenging, given the known risk of bringing unwanted traits over desirable ones. Considering this, the results serve as a remarkable breakthrough in going beyond such limitations and continuously using genetic materials for crop resilience.
The modified seeds were later planted during the season so that the plants could grow in hotter climates. The plants were intentionally put in stressfully hot situations that are projected to become the norm, considering the rise of temperatures all over the world.
The researchers observed that the plants that were modified with the exotic DNA had a 50% higher yield compared to the wheat crops without it. What's more, the modified plants did not have a worse performance than the elite lines under typical conditions.
To know the specific genetic variations that led to remarkable heat tolerance, the researchers performed sequencing. SciTechDaily reports that they were able to pinpoint the genetic markers that enable the targeted entry of such exotic DNA into the elite wheat lines. This provides a method to boost crop resilience and handle crop failure risks.
Ph.D student and study author Benedict Coombes expresses that, as people attempt to make more food with less land to cater to an expanding population, there is a need for the crops to be future-proofed so that they may thrive amidst climate change. Coombes mentions how the key could be within "untapped genetic sources."
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