American scientists are developing a new type of potato that can withstand heat waves, with the aim of helping to increase the production of agricultural crops in the future, when climate change will be more pronounced.
A group of researchers conducted field tests in the US state of Illinois and found that the modified plant produced up to 30 percent more potatoes under heat stress.
This success was achieved by adding two genes to modify a process called photorespiration, which helps improve plant efficiency and leaves more energy for greater growth.
The authors of the study, which was published in the journal Global Change Biology, describe this step as "a promising route for increasing production under conditions of global warming."
However, further tests in different locations are needed to confirm these results in different environments.
The project was led by Katherine Meacham-Hensold and involved scientists from the University of Illinois (UIUC) in the US and the University of Essex in England.
Meacham-Hensold said the goal of the project is to meet food needs in the face of global warming, they write MEDIA.
"We need to produce crops that can withstand heat waves, which are expected to be more frequent and intense, if we want to ensure the food needs of the population in the regions most at risk from reduced production due to global warming," she stated.
"The 30 percent increase in the mass of potato tubers in our tests indicates an improvement in the photosynthesis process, which paves the way for agricultural crops adapted to climate change," the scientist concluded. /Telegraph/
