SAN JOSE, Calif. — To feed a hotter and drier planet, Stanford scientists are building a smarter plant.
The team has genetically reprogrammed plants, nurtured in a laboratory chamber, to grow roots that are long or short, branched or slender — traits that change the ability to gather nutrients or water.
Controlling root growth could someday offer a powerful new tool for farmers, especially in drought or flood-prone areas with poor soil. During the coming decades, say experts, we will need to cultivate crops that can produce an unprecedented bounty in ever harsher and more unpredictable conditions, as the population climbs. If improved root structures can increase the yields of a food crop, perhaps more food can be put on tables.
