Climate change is making much of the world a hotter and drier place, causing more droughts and reducing farmland productivity. To feed the projected 10 billion people by the end of the century, scientists are turning to heat-tolerant species like orchids, agaves and pineapples that have hacked photosynthesis in ways that allow them to thrive in harsh conditions.
The process of photosynthesis, which uses sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to make the sugars and other molecules plants need, can be disrupted by hot and dry environments. However, by engineering crop plants like rice and wheat to be more like heat-tolerant species, researchers say some crop yields could increase by 50 percent or more.
Plant molecular biologists like Xiaohan Yang from Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee believe that these heat-tolerant plants are a natural solution to mitigate the effects of climate change. To increase crop yields, scientists have been targeting photosynthesis, which fuels almost all life on Earth.
There are two main approaches to making photosynthesis more efficient in hot and dry environments: the CAM strategy and engineering C4 traits into C3 plants. Although both have different strengths and weaknesses, scientists hope to engineer CAM traits into C4 plants like corn to make them even more efficient at using water.
While the work is still years from being done, it’s clear that CAM can be engineered into C3 plants. However, it remains to be seen whether useful crops will result. If they can, it is estimated that it will take about 10 years before they are available to the public.
In conclusion, hacking photosynthesis has the potential to increase crop yields, making it a vital solution for feeding the world amidst the effects of climate change. By turning to heat-tolerant species and targeting the process of photosynthesis, scientists are hoping to make crops like corn, wheat and barley as heat and drought resistant as cacti.
