Research Team Improves Drought and Salt Tolerance in Cotton and Poplar Using Arabidopsis Gene

Researchers led by Lin-Hui Yu from the University of Science and Technology of China, reported that the Arabidopsis ENHANCED DROUGHT TOLERANCE1/ HOMEODOMAIN GLABROUS11 (AtEDT1/HDG11) also confers drought and salt tolerance in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and the woody plant poplar (Populus tomentosa Carr.). Although the gene has been known to confer tolerance to crops such as rice and Arabidopsis, this was the first time it was used for both cotton and poplar.

Both the transgenic cotton and poplar exhibited enhanced tolerance to drought and salt stress. Furthermore, the transgenic cotton showed significant improvement in drought tolerance and better agronomic performance with higher cotton yield in the field both under normal and drought conditions.

Their results demonstrate that AtHDG11 is a promising candidate gene for improving drought and salt of crops and woody plants.

For more information on the study, read the article in Plant Biotechnology Journal.