New Method for Improving Crop Yields

[roblack]

Not really into GMO's, but this looks interesting.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190103142306.htm

[pineislander]

Despite their calling photorespiration a glitch most things in nature have a purpose even if it appears to us as wasteful or destructive, like fire. Photorespiration produces CO2 but also ammonia. Not sure what effect that might have?

[Pademelon1]

It's not so much a glitch, but an evolutionary leftover from before oxygen was present in large quantities in the atmosphere. There already exist naturally a number of plants that have largely reduced photorespiration, known as C4 pathway plants (Such as Corn & Sugarcane), and there have been ongoing projects to develop other crops, particularly rice as C4 plants. This article (as it appears to me) seems to be saying that the researchers have found another GMO pathway that also achieves this outcome.

The reddit link below discusses this article if you want to know more.
https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/aca4z3/most_crops_are_plagued_by_a_photosynthetic_glitch/

[roblack]

Thanks Pad and PI for the replies! The link and discussion are certainly intriguing and informative. Who knows what wonders the future will hold.