With temperatures rising globally, agricultural crops are feeling the stress.
With temperatures rising globally, agricultural crops are feeling the stress. Warmer weather can cause a large reduction in crop yield. The Kendal Hirschi Lab at Baylor College of Medicine recently had a patent approved for a gene to make plants more tolerant to higher temperatures.
Drs. Kendal Hirschi and Ninghui Cheng discuss the importance of the patent and its environmental impact.
Helping crops beat the heat
“In commercial agriculture, we want high yield and nutritious foods. In hot temperatures, the yield can be low, which is a problem. With this new gene, we’re protecting plants when the temperatures rise so they can grow better,” said Cheng, assistant professor of pediatrics-nutrition at Baylor and Texas Children’s Hospital.
The yield of crops is falling due to increased temperatures, as crops were not bred to withstand this kind of heat.
Read more at Baylor College of Medicine
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