Researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) and James Cook University (JCU) discovered a natural mechanism that allows plants to limit water loss while still absorbing a significant amount of CO2. Experts believe the discovery will aid agricultural scientists and plant breeders in developing more water-efficient crops.
According to Diego Marquez, co-author from ANU, the findings could lead to more resilient crops that can withstand extreme weather events such as drought.
"Plants lose water continuously through pores in the 'skin' of their leaves." These same pores, which allow CO2 to enter the leaves and are critical to their survival, are critical to their survival. Plants typically lose hundreds of units of water for every unit of CO2 gained. "This is why plants require a lot of water to grow and survive," Marquez explained. "The mechanism we demonstrated is activated when the environment is dry, such as on a hot summer day, allowing the plant to reduce water loss while having little effect on CO2 uptake."
The team believes that the water-saving mechanism can be controlled, making it a possible missing piece in breeding more water-efficient crops. According to Chin Wong, lead author from ANU, the findings are a "dream discovery."
"The agriculture industry has long hoped that scientists will discover a way to deliver highly productive crops that use water efficiently." "Plant scientists have been grappling with the big question of how to increase CO2 uptake while decreasing water loss without negatively impacting yields," Wong explained. "Having this mechanism that can reduce water loss while having little effect on CO2 uptake provides an opportunity for agricultural scientists and plant breeders working on ways to improve water use efficiency and create drought-tolerant crops."
While researchers have identified a system that works to limit the amount of water lost from the leaf, they are still unsure of what is causing it.
"Our primary goal now is to identify the structures within the plant that enable this control." "We believe that water conduits called aquaporins, which are found in cell membranes, are to blame," Marquez explained. "Once we've confirmed this, we'll be able to consider how we can manipulate these systems and turn them into an asset for the agricultural industry."
"Finding the mechanism was a big step, but there's still work to do to translate this discovery into the industry," said Graham Farquhar, co-author and ANU professor. "We anticipate that both the government and industry will recognise the importance of contributing funds to achieve this goal."
