A recent breakthrough by a team from the University of Illinois has brought new hope for food security in the face of climate change. Researchers have engineered potatoes to be more resilient to extreme heat, achieving a remarkable 30% increase in tuber mass under heatwave conditions. This innovative work highlights the potential of enhancing photosynthesis as a strategy for developing climate-resilient crops, which could play a crucial role in addressing the challenges posed by global warming.
Katherine Meacham-Hensold, the scientific project manager for the Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) project, emphasized the urgency of this research. “We need to develop crops that can withstand more frequent and intense heatwaves if we are to meet the growing food demand in regions most at risk from reduced yields due to climate change,” she stated. As erratic weather patterns increasingly lead to crop failures, especially in vulnerable areas, the ability to enhance the resilience of staple crops like potatoes could prove invaluable for families relying on them for sustenance.
The innovative approach taken by the University of Illinois team involved engineering potatoes with a photorespiratory bypass. This modification allows the plants to avoid a significant energy drain that occurs when the enzyme rubisco reacts with oxygen instead of carbon dioxide—a process that is exacerbated by high temperatures. The traditional photorespiration can reduce crop yields by as much as 40% in various crops, including soybean and rice. By bypassing the original photorespiratory pathway, the researchers aimed to reduce the energy wasted on metabolizing toxic byproducts, allowing more energy to be directed toward growth.
The research team began by cultivating the modified potatoes in a greenhouse before transplanting them into the field, where they were subjected to extreme heat conditions. During a summer heatwave in 2022, temperatures soared above 95°F (35°C), reaching as high as 100°F (38°C). While the genetically engineered potatoes thrived, exhibiting robust growth, the control group struggled with heat stress, underscoring the effectiveness of the modification.
Published in the journal Global Change Biology, the study not only showcased the enhanced growth of the engineered potatoes but also confirmed that these changes did not compromise the nutritional quality of the crop. Don Ort, the Robert Emerson Professor of Plant Biology and Crop Sciences and Deputy Director of the RIPE project, highlighted that food security encompasses both the quantity and quality of food produced. “Food security is not just about the amount of calories that can be produced but we must also consider the quality of the food,” he noted.
The implications of this research extend beyond potatoes. While additional multi-location field trials are necessary to validate these findings in various environments, the success of the engineered potatoes raises hopes for similar advancements in other root crops, such as cassava. This is particularly significant for Sub-Saharan Africa, a region that is already grappling with the impacts of climate change and could greatly benefit from crops that can withstand rising temperatures.
The RIPE project, supported by Bill & Melinda Gates Agricultural Innovations (Gates Ag One), aims to improve food security by developing crops that can convert sunlight into food more efficiently. The project’s focus on enhancing photosynthesis is a promising avenue for tackling the challenges posed by climate change, especially as global food demand continues to rise. The engineering of climate-resilient crops like potatoes could be a game-changer in ensuring that vulnerable populations have access to reliable food sources, even in the face of increasingly erratic weather patterns.