Researchers find superior form of plant enzyme that can increase wheat yield

Research has revealed a superior form of a common plant enzyme, Rubisco, can boost photosynthesis resulting in a significant increase in wheat yield.

The research conducted by plant scientists at Lancaster University, Rothamsted Research, and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) claim the enzyme can increase photosynthesis by up to 20% under certain field conditions.

Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) professor Martin A J Parry said: "Improving the efficiency of photosynthesis, the way crops turn carbon dioxide in our atmosphere into everything we can eat, may seem ambitious but for us it offers the best opportunity for producing the scale of change in crop yield that we need to feed a growing global population in a changing world climate."

Researchers carried out and measured photosynthesis in 25 genotypes of wheat that showed variation existing among each genotype, however closely related they are.

Research was also done on wild relatives of bread wheat, Triticum aestivum. Each type was studied to find superior Rubisco enzymes responsible for improving photosynthesis.

Of superior Rubisco enzymes identified, two of the most efficient are Rubisco from plants known as Aegilops cylindrica (jointed goatgrass) and Hordeum vulgare (barley).

The variants possess Rubisco catalytic properties that are capable of improving photosynthesis leading to an increased grain yield.

LEC researcher Dr Elizabete Carmo-Silva said: "Both jointed grass and barley are regarded as valuable genetic resources for improving wheat disease resistance.

"Our research suggests that they can also be used to improve biomass production."

Dr Anneke Prins and Dr Doug Orr are research associates at the university who conducted the experiment that was jointly funded by CIMMYT and by a subcontract to the University of Illinois, under the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation award Realising Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE).

Orr said: "As part of the RIPE project we are screening a wide range of species from across the globe, and aim to identify variation that will enable improving photosynthesis and biomass production in rice, cassava and soybean."

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Image: A common plant enzyme, Rubisco, that is present in wheat can increase its yield significantly. Photo: courtesy of Lancaster University.