Researchers are using CRISPR/Cas, transgenic breeding and other molecular tools to make key crops — such as wheat, rice, maize, tomatoes and potatoes — more resilient to drought and salinity. One approach modifies genes like EXOCYST70A3 to encourage deeper roots that access subsurface moisture and store more carbon. A second approach boosts sugar pathways (for example, trehalose and trehalose‑6‑phosphate signalling) to increase starch production and yields. Trials of altered wheat and rice lines show promising stress tolerance, and a sugar‑stimulating spray offers a complementary, lower‑cost option.
Breakthrough Gene Tools — And A New Spray — Could Make Crops Hardier. Here’s How
Scientists are experimenting with advanced genetic techniques and complementary agronomic treatments to make staple crops — including tomatoes, potatoes, wheat, rice and maize — more resilient to drought, salinity and other climate stresses. Early results point to two broad approaches that could both protect yields and help croplands store more carbon.
How Researchers Are Rewiring Crops
Reports summarized by AZo Cleantech describe a range of molecular tools now being used in labs: plant genome modulation, multiplex single guide RNA for targeted gene deletion, homology-directed gene insertion, biomimicry-inspired approaches, and indel-mediated disruption of coding and promoter regions. CRISPR/Cas-based editing and traditional transgenic breeding remain central methods for creating new traits.
Two Promising Strategies
1) Modify Root Architecture: By mapping genetic pathways that control root development, researchers found that altering the gene EXOCYST70A3 can stimulate deeper, more robust root systems. Deeper roots help plants reach moisture that remains below dry soil surfaces and improve survival and productivity during prolonged dry spells.
2) Change Sugar Metabolism: Scientists are also targeting carbohydrate pathways. Increasing levels of the sugar trehalose and activating trehalose-6-phosphate signalling can promote starch biosynthesis and shift how plants allocate and store carbohydrates, which can raise yields under stress.
Concrete Examples
Several experimental lines illustrate these principles. In wheat, transgenic lines overexpressing TaTR1 and TaTR4 have shown higher yields and improved drought resilience. Introducing the transcription factor GmDREB1 into wheat has reduced membrane damage, optimized photosynthesis and improved osmotic adjustment. In rice, editing OsDST or increasing expression of OsMADS27 has yielded plants with enhanced salinity and drought tolerance.
A Non-Genetic Option: A Sugar-Stimulating Spray
In addition to genetic approaches, researchers report a chemical spray that stimulates sugar production in crops. Trials suggest this spray could be a flexible, lower-cost tool to boost yields without changing seed genetics, making it attractive for rapid agronomic deployment.
What This Means And Cautions
Combining deeper root systems and improved sugar metabolism could produce crop varieties that both tolerate environmental stress and deliver larger harvests — a promising path for food security in drought-prone regions. Root systems also act as carbon sinks, so strengthening them could increase soil carbon storage, contributing modestly to climate mitigation.
Important caveats: Most of these techniques remain at the trial stage. They require extensive field testing, environmental assessment and regulatory review before widespread use. Long-term effects, ecological impacts and socioeconomic considerations need careful evaluation.
Looking Ahead
Whether delivered through new seed varieties or agronomic treatments such as sprays, these innovations expand the toolkit to protect food supplies under a changing climate. Ongoing research and responsible deployment will determine how quickly they can help feed growing populations while reducing agricultural emissions.
