A Universal Genetic Switch for Increasing Plant Yields, Stress Tolerance and Perishable Product Shelf Life
Posted 12th February 2020 by Joshua Sewell
Food waste is a significant problem globally and contributes to huge agricultural losses. Roughly one-third of all food is wasted: 1.3 billion tons per year. It is no surprise that the UN has a Sustainable Development Goal of cutting food waste in half by 2030.
How CRISPR/Cas9 can help unravel Salt Stress Responses in Rice
Posted 18th February 2019 by Joshua Sewell
Soil salinity affects a large amount of arable land and is one of the major causes of crop yield reduction worldwide. Rice, a major food crop feeding more than half of the world, is highly susceptible to salinity stress. Developing salt-stress tolerant rice cultivars is essential to sustain world rice production. The major focus of my research at the Maathuis Lab in the Biology Department of the University of York is looking for key players in the complex molecular networks responsible for rice salt-tolerance, and understanding their mode(s) of action.
Major resistance genes in cereals
Posted 6th February 2019 by Joshua Sewell
Cereal crops, such as wheat, maize, rice, barley, sorghum and millets, account for more than half of the global harvest and provide staple foods around the world.
However, viruses, bacteria, water moulds and fungi can limit access to nutrients, reduce yields and can even cause entire crops to fail. Some diseases can also produce toxins that are harmful to humans and animals. To protect food security, identifying disease resistant genes is crucial.
Novel Photosynthesis Technology – the Solution to the Global Food Security Crisis?
Posted 23rd July 2018 by Jane Williams
Ensuring global food security
The human population is increasing, which means that we need to improve crop productivity to maintain food security. Over the last century, plant breeding and modern agriculture have made large gains in productivity. However, this growth is not keeping pace with demand. If plant photosynthesis could be improved, this would provide breeders with a new tool to increase crop yields. This has been a major research focus over the last 20 years and significant progress has been made in understanding this process. However, crops with improved photosynthesis have yet to be successfully commercialised.
Ensuring Global Food Security: Genomic Approaches To Crop Diversity
Posted 15th March 2017 by Jane Williams
As the world population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, global food security represents one of the most researched topics in plant science.