Scientists at KazSC RAS plan to increase wheat yields using lichens

Scientists at the Kazan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (KazSC RAS) plan to find photoprotection genes in wheat using lichens in order to increase yields by at least 40% during drought, Gazeta.Ru reports with reference to the Science and Technology Foundation of the Republic of Tatarstan, which financed the scientists’ work.

“Scientists at the Kazan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (KazSC RAS), using lichens, plan to isolate genes in wheat that are responsible for photoprotection, which will help increase its yield by at least 40% in drought conditions, when the sun is too active,” the publication writes.

The material notes that the search and study of such wheat genes is an important step to increase its resistance and productivity in changing climatic conditions, since these genes are responsible for complex mechanisms that protect the plant’s photosynthetic apparatus from damage caused by excess light.

According to Gazeta.Ru, modification of photosynthesis by breeding methods can increase crop yields by at least 40% - this is more than other known approaches provide. It is clarified that scientists are interested in non-photochemical quenching of energy - a protective mechanism that prevents the plant’s photosystem from being overloaded. Without it, excess energy leads to the formation of reactive oxygen species that damage cells, the publication says.

As the publication writes, the model for the study will be extremophilic lichens adapted to extremely harsh conditions. It is noted that their protective mechanisms will help to find similar target genes in crops and develop ways to activate them under stressful conditions.