A University of Saskatchewan researcher hopes a gene that enables bromegrass to thrive in tough, prairie conditions will create faster maturing, higher yielding transgenic crops.
U of S plant scientist Larry Gusta expected to have a deal signed with a corporate partner this week to use the Rob-5 gene, which is responsible for bromegrass’s hardiness to heat and freezing.
“Crops mature days earlier and are more able to withstand frost,” he said.
Gusta and his collaborators, including Saskatoon area farmer Albert Robertson for whom the gene is named, have worked since 1988 to isolate and place Rob-5 into crops such as canola, flax and potatoes, field test the resulting plants and patent the discovery.
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Gusta hopes the deal between the university and its commercial partner will allow it to market new plant varieties using the Rob-5 gene.
The commercial partner was not identified at press time on May 1.
He said producers should be able to enjoy the advantages of crops using Rob-5 within five years.
During canola and flax testing in the droughts of 2000 and 2001, Rob-5 plants retained blossoms longer in heat and yielded 20 to 25 percent more than control groups.
The addition of the Rob-5 gene also induces more rapid germination under cold soil conditions, reducing the risk of fungal disease in early-planted crops.
Rob-5 plants placed under drought stress react sooner to retain moisture, making more water available for growth and seed set.
This attribute may also be useful in reducing moisture loss in plants grown under irrigation, cutting water use.
Gusta said the gene could be added to a variety of plants, pushing legumes such as soybeans farther north, which would offer new cropping opportunities.
He is now working on adapting the
Rob-5 gene’s promoter for other genes. Promoters are the switches that turn genes on and off.
“When you add genes to a plant, you often don’t need them working all season long. They can tax a plant’s resources, so if you can control when they turn on and off, you can keep them (from) interfering with yield,” he said.
