Reducing stomatal density by expression of a synthetic epidermal patterning factor increases leaf intrinsic water use efficiency and reduces plant water use in a C4 crop.

ABSTRACT: Enhancing crop water use efficiency (WUE) is a key target trait for climatic resilience and expanding cultivation on marginal lands. Engineering lower stomatal density to reduce stomatal conductance (gs) has improved WUE in multiple C3 crop species. However, reducing gs in C3 species often reduces photosynthetic carbon gain. A different response is expected in C4 plants because they possess specialized anatomy and biochemistry which concentrates CO2 at the site of fixation. This modifies the relationship of photosynthesis (AN) with intracellular CO2 concentration (ci), such that photosynthesis is CO2 saturated and reductions in gs are unlikely to limit AN. To test this hypothesis, genetic strategies were investigated to reduce stomatal density in the C4 crop sorghum. Constitutive expressio

SUBMITTER: Ferguson JN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11565208 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature