Scientists report potential to boost cotton yield by nearly a quarter after inserting stress-resistance gene from a species of steppe moss.
Chinese scientists who inserted a gene from desert moss into cotton say their innovation can boost yields by nearly a quarter through protection against a pervasive fungal disease that threatens crops worldwide.
The team, led by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG), inserted a stress-resistance gene from a species of steppe moss that thrives in the deserts of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region into cotton plants.
The resulting genetically modified plant showed improved resistance to Verticillium wilt, sometimes known as “cotton cancer”, which can also affect other crops, including fruits and vegetables.
The transgenic cotton had “an approximate 23.8 per cent yield increase relative to non-transgenic counterparts under pathogen infection conditions”, according to the team’s paper published in the peer-reviewed Plant Biotechnology Journal in April.
Transgenic organisms have had genes from another species inserted into them before. Popular examples of transgenic crops include golden rice, which has been edited to produce beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A.
The transgenic cotton could reduce the impact of the devastating fungal disease. The team said its method also showed a “promising strategy” for improving crops by using genes from species that live in extreme environments.
Xinjiang is China’s largest cotton-producing province and in recent years the country has been transforming the region’s deserts to grow a variety of crops, such as rice, wheat and fruit.
It is part of a wider effort to strengthen China’s agricultural sector – which also includes incorporating technologies such as artificial intelligence and smart farming – to ensure food security.
Cotton, along with more than 180 other species, can be infected by the soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae, for which there is no cure.
Verticillium wilt disrupts the plant’s roots and water transport system, and can reduce fibre quality, leading to annual cotton production losses of more than 20 per cent, according to the paper.
Once soil is infected, the fungus can remain dormant for decades. It is difficult to control with chemicals, making it difficult to get rid of, according to a social media post by XIEG on May 7.
Scientists have been searching for ways to develop resistant cotton varieties, including using genetic engineering to introduce genes from other species.
“The potential of conventional genetic improvement in upland cotton remains limited due to a lack of robust resistance resources,” said the team, led by Zhang Daoyuan at XIEG.
The Chinese team had previously identified a gene in the drought-tolerant moss species Syntrichia caninervis found in the Gurbantunggut Desert in Xinjiang, which helps it survive under “extreme stress”. This gene is not found in flowering plants like cotton.
The researchers transferred this moss gene into cotton, and the resulting transgenic cotton generations were tested in both indoor and field experiments. The experiments showed that the incidence rate of disease was reduced by nearly 60 per cent, and the yield of each plot was increased compared with non-transgenic cotton.
“Furthermore, the key indicators of the transgenic cotton, such as fibre length, strength and elongation, were all superior to the control cotton,” according to XIEG.
The team said the desert moss gene could be used as a tool for “resilience-by-design” breeding, or genetic improvements to increase resilience.
Source: https://www.scmp.com/