A breakthrough in plant research may hold the key to building hardier plants, says a report published in the journal Nature.
Scientists at Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan, have discovered how a hormone works that helps plants respond to environmental stresses such as drought and cold.
The research found the key to the molecular structure of the receptors that plants use to sense the hormone abscisic acid (ABA), which keeps seeds dormant and stops buds from sprouting until the climate is right.
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“The plant community has been waiting for this discovery for many years,” said Karsten Melcher, a research scientist at the institute and one of the authors of the study.
“It could have major effects on nutrition and crop yields, especially as fresh water sources become scarcer.”
Anthony Anyia, a researcher with the Alberta Research Council in Vegreville, Alta., said research that addresses drought tolerance in plants is relevant worldwide, including the Canadian Prairies.
“Plant scientists have long known that the ABA concentration is increased in plants under drought stress conditions. This ABA increase helps regulate water loss from leaves, as well as increase the uptake of water by roots to mitigate the impact of drought,” said Anyia, who is developing drought resistant crops suitable for the Prairies.
“Essentially ABA helps plants survive longer under prolonged drought conditions. This new finding by VARI researchers extends this knowledge and may eventually contribute to development of crops that are more resilient to drought and other harsh environmental conditions. Other mechanisms of improving drought tolerance of crops are also being developed and tested worldwide.”
Eric Xu, , another study author, said the breakthrough allows scientists to understand the signaling process in the plant.
“This knowledge sets a foundation that may lead to allowing manipulation of the ABA signalling pathway and to the design of synthetic small molecules to turn on the stress response pathway,” Xu said in an e-mail interview.
“It is important to note that, if that promise does hold true, it will take a long time before any commercial product would be available.”
