Bioengineering: Better photosynthesis increases yields in food crops
www.sciencedaily.com
Scientists have transgenically altered soybean plants to increase the efficiency of photosynthesis, resulting in greater yields without loss of quality.

One of the scientists involved in this achievement started at the ground floor and after 25+ years of research finally pulled of the results to help alleviate world hunger.

  • poVoq@lemmy.ml
    2·
    2 years ago

    I was hoping this was about C3->C4 cycle.

    The faster switching of photo protection seems not that promising for high intensity crops to minimize land and water use.

    • drone328
      2·
      2 years ago

      I’m ignorant. Can you explain what that means?

      • poVoq@lemmy.ml
        4·
        2 years ago

        Some plants, most notably Maize, employ a more efficient photosynthesis step called C4 cycle. This allows then to convert significantly more sunlight into chemical energy than most other plants that use the so called C3 cycle.

        There are long running efforts to genetically engineer other major food crops like wheat and rice to also use this C4 cycle. But so far this has not worked out.