Researchers Identify Gene that Allows Corn to Grow in Poor Conditions
March 20, 2013| |
Corn varieties that can grow successfully in acidic soil were found to contain three copies of a particular gene. Expression of these genes allows plants to tolerate aluminum at high levels in acidic soils.
"Identifying genes that make plants more tolerant of aluminum is very critical for farmers growing crops where productivity is suboptimal due to acidic soil," said Matias Kirst, co-author and a member of Genetics Institute. The findings also suggest that gene copy number may be a rapid evolutionary response to new environments or climate change.
The triplicate gene may ultimately be used to breed or genetically modify plants to adapt to soil containing high levels of aluminum.
View the University of Florida's news release at http://news.ufl.edu/2013/03/12/maize-gene/.
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