The world is really in need of another ‘Green Revolution’ and it needs it pretty badly considering the way in which global food production is going and population is growing, it becomes imperative that we need to find new methods to feed more mouths. Tel Aviv University researchers, however, are investigating a new solution that turns the problem upside-down, getting to the root of the issue. They are genetically modifying plants’ root systems to improve their ability to find the water essential to their survival. When it comes to water, every drop counts and Prof. Amram Eshel and his team, with that of Prof. Hillel Fromm, hope to engineer a plant that takes advantage of a newly discovered gene that controls hydrotropism, a plant’s ability to send its roots towards water. Scientists in TAU’s lab are observing plants that are grown on moist air in the University’s lab, making it possible to investigate how the modified plant roots orient themselves towards water.
The technology attempts to merge Aeroponics and hydrotropism to give the best possible results. Plants that can sense water in a better fashion will be higher in economic value in the future and that is what the technology aims at. There can be significant water-saving consequences for farmers around the world if this new technology is adopted when it eventually does go commercial. Hopefully this will all come good sooner than later!
Via: Sciencedaily
