Food crops made 20% more efficient at harnessing sunlight

Image source, Getty Images

Scientists have found a way to improve a food crops ability to harness the Sun.

Researchers found a way to make the process of converting sunlight energy into food more efficient.

A research team spread across the UK and US achieved a 20% increase in crop yield.

The hope is that this breakthrough will alleviate food scarcity.

Prof Stephen Long, an agricultural scientist based at both the University of Illinois and the University of Lancaster, said that this was the most important breakthrough he had ever been involved in.

He told the news that they have been looking at why it might be inefficient for a long time. "Showing that we can do this completely changes the ground and contributes hugely to our ability to increase global food supply."

All of our food is derived from the sun. The process uses energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars that fuel a plant's growth.

In bright sunlight, plants switch into a protective mode and release excess energy in order to avoid damage to their cells. It takes several minutes for a plant to get out of protective mode.

Image source, University of Illinois

The Illinois and Lancaster University scientists tinkered with the genes responsible for the protective function in their soy plants. The leaves of the genetically modified plants gained more time in the sun.

Lab conditions were used to carry out previous studies. This is the first time that has been done in the field.

Prof Long said that it was important to trial any new technology in a real agricultural situation to see if it would work.

The increase in yield is huge compared to the improvements we get through plant breeding. The fact that we have it working in a food crop gives us a lot of confidence that this should work in wheat, maize and rice.

Prof Long said that the crops could be grown in the field within a decade.

There are different rules on genetically modified crops in different countries. Last year, the UK government relaxed the regulation of "gene-edited" crops to allow them to be grown in England.

Some of the world's poor farmers are hoping that the breakthrough will help them. The number of people affected by food insufficiency continues to grow and there needs to be a change at the food supply level to change the trajectory.

More than half a billion people are expected to face food scarcity by the year 2030. Climate change is one of the main causes of this.

Dr De Souza said, "Improving photosynthesis is a major opportunity to get the needed jump in yields."