Neither tomato plant has been watered for 11 days, but the green and leafy plant treated with synthetic abscisic acid shows dryness only in the parched soil.
The second plant sitting in a window sill at the National Research Council’s plant biotechnology institute has noticeably wilted.
Project researcher Sue Abrams said plants naturally produce the hormone abscisic acid, or ABA, in response to wind and drought stress. It causes the pores on leaves to close to prevent further water loss.
“If we give the plant a natural plant hormone, it will last longer,” she said.
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The synthetic analogs of abscisic acid produced from her research have the same effect as the natural ones.
Now, a California-based company has agreed to investigate its agricultural commercial applications.
Valent BioSciences is involved in the research, development and commercialization of technologies and products for the agricultural, public health, forestry and household insecticide markets. Under the agreement, Valent will have the first option to license the council’s technology for commercial development.
“This success gives us credibility to do more research,” Abrams said.
Citing its many applications, she said ABA could produce hardier transplants for greenhouse growers, export markets and reforestation projects. It could also make plants use water more efficiently.
Abrams predicted water shortages will be a big problem in the next century, so understanding how plants respond to drought is important.
Under adverse conditions, the treated plants take in neither water nor carbon dioxide and stop growing.
These shorter plants would make good specimens for mechanically planted seedlings, said Abrams. Hardier plants could also make better bedding plants for home gardeners.
“You could provide plants that were more sturdy to consumer misuse.”
For grains and oilseeds, synthetic ABA could make plants more drought tolerant, enhance their oil production and help researchers study how germination is controlled by natural plant growth regulators.
Abrams said field trials with horticulturists and other researchers are helping determine how long stressed plants can go without water.
Studies in Australia showed treated peppers wilt after 42 days with no water, compared to the untreated plants’ nine-day run.
“Our objective is to understand the basic science and to try to design molecules to work better,” she said, noting Valent can take the research and turn it into commercial products available to growers.
