Therefore, the researchers studied 436 rows of field-grown corn using the laser ablation tomography method. This approach allowed experts to identify heritable variability in the size of air spaces in the aerenchyma of root tissue.
Through analysis and experiments, the scientists identified a single nucleotide substitution in the bHLH121 transcription factor. This gene is expressed in root cortex cells and controls the formation of air-filled spaces.
Replacing a large number of cells with wells is reported to allow the plant to conserve the energy that would be spent feeding these cells. The gene increases the metabolic efficiency of the roots, increasing their number and helping to retain more resources in the soil, including water and minerals.
According to the researchers, incorporating the activated gene into agricultural crops will allow plants to better tolerate drought and absorb nitrogen and phosphorus efficiently. And these are very important “capabilities” in a rapidly changing climate.
Source: Ferra
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