A crucial discovery about the "heartbeat" of plants has researchers optimistic that more climate-resilient crops are within our reach.
As detailed by Phys.org, scientists from the University of Copenhagen's department of biology found that plants have a "cleanup mechanism" that is activated when fewer nutrients are available. This process, known as autophagy, also occurs in fasting humans.
"In our study, we have proven that the same mechanism, which also exists in the plant kingdom, plays a vital role in the ability of plant roots to grow and absorb water and nutrients for the rest of the plant," said assistant professor Eleazar Rodriguez.
While researchers have long understood that the hormone auxin directly impacts root growth, fueling the "heartbeat" of plants, how plants control their heartbeats has been a mystery.
After disabling plants' cleanup mechanisms during experiments, the team at the University of Copenhagen observed that these processes were crucial to the heartbeats.
"Imagine if every garbage collector in Copenhagen went on strike — it wouldn't be long before trash filled the streets," Rodriguez explained. "The same thing happened in the plant cells, as the heartbeats that drive root growth became much weaker and went out of sync."
Now, researchers believe their findings could hold another key to crops that can withstand extreme conditions like droughts and floods. Events like these have become more frequent and severe as average temperatures have risen, contributing to food insecurity and soaring prices at grocery stores.
Ph.D. student Jeppe Ansbøl, one of the study's co-authors, explained to Phys.org that there are already many ways to modify plants' genetic characteristics to make them more resilient.
"One of the methods enlists the help of bacteria that live in symbiosis with the plant and can cause the plant to change its growth pattern," Ansbøl said, adding that multiple companies in Denmark were focused on this area of research.
Elsewhere, a discovery about tiny "water balloons" coating quinoa could lead to a more resilient version of the nutrient-dense superfood. Others are working on plant-based proteins that could reduce our reliance on meat. Many people who have incorporated more vegetables into their diets have found it benefits their health and wallets.
The team at the University of Copenhagen believes that its findings could help scientists modify staple crops like tomatoes, potatoes, wheat, and rice to develop extra, denser roots. This would allow them to grow faster and absorb more nutrients in harsh conditions.
"We're heavily dependent on plants because they feed us, extract CO2 from the atmosphere, and produce the oxygen we breathe," Rodriguez told Phys.org. "As such, it is extremely important to understand them fully, to which end we have just taken a big step forward."
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