A pair of studies conducted by researchers from the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) show the potential of genetic engineering in improving water use efficiency (WUE) in climate-friendly C4 bioenergy crops without negative effects on yield. Their studies are published in the Journal of Experimental Botany.
In their first study, the CABBI team improved WUE in sorghum by inserting a gene that modifies the developmental pattern and reduces the number of stomata on the leaves. This approach minimizes water loss in sorghum plants without affecting photosynthesis or biomass production. In the second study, the researchers found that the remaining pores opened wider when stomatal density was reduced in sugarcane and other C4 crops.
Ferguson et al. Reducing stomatal density by expression of a synthetic epidermal patterning factor increases leaf intrinsic water use efficiency and reduces plant water use in a C4 crop, Journal of Experimental Botany, 2024;, erae289, https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erae289
Lunn et al. Greater aperture counteracts effects of reduced stomatal density on water use efficiency: a case study on sugarcane and meta-analysis, Journal of Experimental Botany, 2024;, erae271, https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erae271
Source: Biotech Updates
