Chinese researchers develop climate-resilient crops to combat global warming
Chinese researchers are leading the way in developing climate-smart crops aimed at combating global warming. These innovative agricultural solutions are designed to enhance resilience against climate change impacts while maintaining food security.
TroibNews 
As the need for crops that can withstand climate change intensifies, Chinese scientists have made a significant advancement in boosting crop productivity under high-temperature conditions through a novel method.
With a projected rise of two degrees Celsius in global temperatures anticipated to escalate average crop losses by 3 to 13 percent, there is a pressing demand for heat-resistant varieties to tackle future food security issues.
Researchers at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have utilized an innovative gene-editing tool to incorporate a heat-shock element into a tomato gene known as LIN5. This alteration improves the gene's expression in response to heat stress, effectively minimizing sugar deficiency in fruits during elevated temperatures.
Experiments conducted in various seasons and environments, including both greenhouses and open fields, demonstrated that this strategy increased tomato yields by 14 to 47 percent under normal conditions and by 26 to 33 percent when heat stress was applied. Remarkably, it prevented 56 to 100 percent of the losses typically seen under heat-induced stress, as detailed in a study published in the journal Cell.
Additionally, the research team found that applying this genetic engineering technique to rice could enhance yields by 7 to 13 percent in standard conditions and by 25 percent during heat stress, reducing potential yield losses caused by high temperatures by 41 percent.
These findings represent a critical step towards improving the climate resilience of crops and herald a new phase in the development of climate-smart, high-yield, and stable agricultural designs, as noted by the researchers.
The Paris Agreement aims to restrict global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with initiatives focused on keeping the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the century's end.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
With a projected rise of two degrees Celsius in global temperatures anticipated to escalate average crop losses by 3 to 13 percent, there is a pressing demand for heat-resistant varieties to tackle future food security issues.
Researchers at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have utilized an innovative gene-editing tool to incorporate a heat-shock element into a tomato gene known as LIN5. This alteration improves the gene's expression in response to heat stress, effectively minimizing sugar deficiency in fruits during elevated temperatures.
Experiments conducted in various seasons and environments, including both greenhouses and open fields, demonstrated that this strategy increased tomato yields by 14 to 47 percent under normal conditions and by 26 to 33 percent when heat stress was applied. Remarkably, it prevented 56 to 100 percent of the losses typically seen under heat-induced stress, as detailed in a study published in the journal Cell.
Additionally, the research team found that applying this genetic engineering technique to rice could enhance yields by 7 to 13 percent in standard conditions and by 25 percent during heat stress, reducing potential yield losses caused by high temperatures by 41 percent.
These findings represent a critical step towards improving the climate resilience of crops and herald a new phase in the development of climate-smart, high-yield, and stable agricultural designs, as noted by the researchers.
The Paris Agreement aims to restrict global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with initiatives focused on keeping the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the century's end.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
