Researchers Accidentally Increase Plant Growth through Genetic Modification

An almost entirely accidental discovery by University of Guelph researchers could transform food and biofuel production and increase carbon capture on farmland. By tweaking a plant's genetic profile, the researchers doubled the plant's growth and increased seed production.

The team studied Arabidopsis and found that inserting a particular corn enzyme caused the plant's growth rate to increase. This could boost yields of important oilseed crops such as canola and soybean, as well as crops such as camelina, which are grown for biofuels.

Their finding, however, came almost by chance. The researchers only noticed that their genetically engineered plants looked much larger than wild type plants. While genetic engineering led to more flowers and pods containing seeds, it did not alter the seed composition.