Researchers Develop Drought-Resistant Tomatoes
Scientists and researchers are continuously working on developing new foods using biotechnology. Some of these new crops have been genetically modified to resist harmful herbicides and insecticides. Other genetically engineered foods, like “golden rice”, are used to help children around the world who suffer from Vitamin A deficiency. Still other crops have been genetically modified for drought resistance. Now, researchers in Texas have genetically modified tomatoes to grow in areas where there is limited water (Drought Resistant Tomatoes promise Increased Yields, Truth about Trade & Technology, 12/14/05).
A team of researchers from Texas A&M University have recently modified tomato plants to over-express the gene, AVP1, which resulted in stronger, larger root systems. This modification allowed the researchers to develop roots that make better use of limited water. The team’s research was published in a recent issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“The gene gave us a better root system and the root system could then take the adjustment to drought stress better and thus grow better,” said Dr. Kendal Hirschi, a researcher at Texas A&M University’s Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center and Baylor University’s College of Medicine.
Dr. Hirschi said that regular or control tomatoes used in the experiment suffered irreversible damage after five days without water. The genetically modified tomatoes, however, began to show signs of damage after thirteen days, but rebounded completely as soon as they were watered, according to the study.
Tomatoes remain one of the most popular vegetables within the food industry all over the world. Tomatoes are also packed with the health-promoting antioxidant lycopene, a carotenoid attracting growing attention in recent years due to research linking it to a reduction in the risk for cancer, according to the news article.
“This technology could ultimately be applied to all crops because it involves the over-expression of a gene found in all plants,” said Dr. Roberto Gaxiola, a plant biologist at the University of Connecticut and the lead author of the study. “It has the potential to revolutionize agriculture and improve food production worldwide by addressing an increasing global concern: water scarcity.”
According to the news article, the study noted that drought conditions throughout the world each year carve out a huge amount of food production. To overcome the food shortages, the study’s authors suggest that it will be necessary to increase the productivity of land “already under cultivation and to regain the use of arable land lost to scarce water supplies.”
Tomato plants that can withstand drought hold a lot of promise for the future of biotechnology and genetically engineered foods. With ever changing weather conditions, these genetically modified tomatoes could help conserve fresh water, which may ease the fears that opponents have about the technology. These crops can ultimately be a benefit for the farmer who plant them and for the individuals around the world who consume them.
