Washington: Scientists have achieved a “breakthrough” in the genetics of senescence, or cell death, in cereal crops with the potential to dramatically impact the future of food security in the era of climate change.
The research, published in The Plant Cell journal, explores the genetic architecture of the little understood process of senescence in maize and other cereal crops.
“Senescence means ‘death of a cell or an organ in the hands of the very organisms it is a part of,” said Rajan Sekhon, a plant geneticist and an assistant professor at Clemson University in the US.
“It happens pretty much everywhere, even in animals. We kill the cells we don’t need. When the weather changes in fall, we have those nice fall colours in trees,” said Sekhon. “At the onset of fall, when the plants realize that they cannot sustain the leaves, they kill their leaves. It is all about the economy of energy,” he said.
The energy scavenged from the leaves is stored in the trunk or roots of the plant and used to quickly reproduce leaves next spring. This makes perfect sense for trees. However, the story is quite different for some other edible plants, specifically cereal crops like maize, rice and wheat.
“These crops are tended very carefully and supplied excess nutrients in the form of fertilisers by the farmers,” Sekhon said. “Instead of dying prematurely, the leaves can keep on making food via photosynthesis. Understanding the triggers for senescence in crops like maize means scientists can alter the plant in a way that can benefit a hungry world.” “If we can slow senescence down, this can allow the plant to stay green — or not senesce — for a longer period of time,” Sekhon said.
