Scientists Discover Wheat Yield-Enhancing Gene

Chinese scientists claim to have discovered a gene in crops that can significantly increase grain yield. They identified the key gene, OsDREB1C, that responds to both light and low nitrogen conditions, modulating both photosynthesis and nitrogen utilization in a paper published online in the academic journal Science on Friday.

The discovery, made by a team led by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences' Institute of Crop Sciences, is expected to provide a potential solution for increasing agricultural productivity and efficient resource utilization, as well as contribute to human food security.

According to the research team's leader, Zhou Wenbin, a significant increase in crop yield has been achieved since the 1960s through the breeding of new varieties and the improvement of cultivation and management technologies. However, crop yield per unit area has gradually increased in recent years.

"We need to find new ways to coordinate future crop yield and nitrogen use efficiency improvements," he said.

The researchers looked at 118 transcription factors related to photosynthesis in maize because maize has a much higher yield than rice and wheat due to their different photosynthetic pathways. They then looked for related genes in rice with similar sequences and found OsDREB1C.

Using genetic engineering technology, the researchers increased the expression of the gene in two rice varieties. From 2018 to 2022, they conducted field trials in three different locations in northern, eastern, and southern China, representing very different environmental conditions, with results showing that the yield of the two rice varieties increased by more than 30%. The duration of growth was also reduced.

They discovered that the OsDREB1C gene can increase yield by more than 17% and shorten growth duration by three to six days in a wheat variety, demonstrating that this gene can increase yield and shorten the growth period of different crops. The discovery, according to Wan Jianmin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, provides a potentially valuable gene for crop variety improvement.

Yang Weicai, a Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) academician, stated that the discovery of this gene has significant scientific value and application prospects, as well as providing an important genetic resource for cultivating crop varieties with higher yield, and higher nitrogen utilization efficiency, and early maturity.

This innovative research has provided a new approach for significantly increasing crop production and maximizing resource utilization. Experts predict that it will be applied to the rice, wheat, and other crops and vegetables in the future, which will be critical in promoting sustainable and intensive agricultural production. Qian Qian, head of CAAS's Institute of Crop Sciences and a CAS academician, stated that the team will focus on the function and mechanism of the key gene in major grain crops such as rice, wheat, corn, and soybean in order to develop new varieties.

(Inputs from Xinhua)