Authors
Andrew P Scafaro, Onoriode Coast, William T Salter, Nicolas L Taylor, Rebecca J Thistlethwaite, Daniel Cowan-Turner, Owen K Atkin
Published in
Plant physiology. Jul 27, 2026. Epub Jul 27, 2026.
Abstract
Increasing crop production to meet global food demand amid a more unstable climate is a challenge that requires new approaches from science and technology. To meet this challenge, plant physiologists must coordinate efforts with crop breeders to select appropriate traits and associated genes that drive improvements in crop performance. However, improvements in yield gain and yield quality are often blind to mechanistic understanding. Recent insights suggest that a deeper understanding of carbon metabolism could contribute to step changes in the yield potential of major crops. By enhancing the efficiency of turning captured light and carbon into biomass - via increasing photosynthesis and the efficiency of respiratory energy production and use - crop yields could be dramatically enhanced. Exploiting this opportunity requires the technical ability to identify germplasm with desired carbon metabolism traits, noting that such traits are especially responsive to developmental changes, tissue type, and environmental perturbations. For practical field-based selection for beneficial performance in carbon metabolism, physiologists must broaden their experimental procedures to incorporate the temporal and spatial dynamics of carbon capture and its use. Advancements in remote sensing and artificial intelligence may prove crucial on this front - launching a new path to crop improvement.
PMID:
42507985
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 28 Jul 2026.
Read full publication at:
Please sign in
to see all details.
Advertisement
Stats
- Recommendations n/a n/a positive of 0 vote(s)
- Views 7
- Comments 0