A farmer is the foundation of every society’s stability and security. While climate change affects nearly every sector, agriculture is among the most vulnerable—as it relies on nature more than any other activity. Changing weather patterns bring great uncertainty: days pass in anxious waiting for a single drop of rain, or the soil turns into a muddy river. Winters are getting warmer, causing plants to bloom too early, only to be destroyed weeks later by spring frost.
There is growing concern, especially for staple crops, such as potatoes—a symbol of everyday food around the world.
Throughout history, the world has adapted to change—plants, people, and entire ecosystems have evolved with nature. However, with increasingly extreme and unpredictable climate conditions, plants’ natural ability to adapt is no longer sufficient. That is why scientists across the globe are searching for solutions—not just through cultivation in controlled environments, but by enhancing the crops themselves.
A team from the University of Illinois succeeded in genetically modifying potatoes, making them more resistant to global warming. Remarkably, the tuber mass increased by 30 percent, even under heat wave conditions. Specifically, while the potato plants were still in the early vegetative growth stage, the heat wave kept temperatures above 35°C for four consecutive days, with peaks surpassing 38°C on two occasions.
Why are such scientific efforts important?
Plants that once thrived under typical conditions are now facing new challenges, and one of them is photorespiration—a process that reduces plant yields, especially at high temperatures. During photosynthesis, plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to produce food and oxygen for growth. But during photorespiration, the opposite occurs. At high temperatures, the enzyme Rubisco can “confuse” oxygen for carbon dioxide.
As scientists explain, this results in the production of a harmful byproduct—glycolate, which consumes the plant’s energy that would otherwise go toward growth, leading to reduced yield.
While this is not a new phenomenon, in the past photorespiration occurred in about 25 percent of cases, when conditions were more favorable. However, as temperatures rise, photorespiration now happens much more frequently. Plants must use more energy to repair this mistake instead of using that energy to grow and develop fruit.
To reduce the rate of photorespiration, scientists are adding extra genes that allow plants to process harmful glycolate more efficiently, thereby saving energy for growth—even under high-temperature conditions.
Katarina Vuinac
