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posted by CoolHand on Saturday March 18 2017, @03:57AM   Printer-friendly
from the a-maize-ing-discoveries dept.

Researchers from VIB-UGent have discovered a gene that significantly increases plant growth and seed yield in maize. Research into crop yield is crucial because of the increasing incidence of extreme weather conditions affecting agriculture. The results from laboratory research were confirmed during two-year field trials conducted in Belgium and the United States showing that this gene can increase seed yield in maize hybrids by 10 to 15%.

VIB-UGent scientists, headed by Prof. Dirk Inzé and Dr. Hilde Nelissen, are conducting research into the molecular mechanisms behind leaf growth in maize. Leaf development is a blueprint for the plant's growth processes. Indeed, knowing how leaves grow provides a great deal of information about the growth of the plant as a whole. The researchers discovered a gene in maize, named PLA1, which significantly increases plant growth and the size of plant organs such as the leaves, but also the cob. Dirk Inzé says: "We have succeeded in significantly boosting biomass and seed production by increasing PLA1 expression in the plant, which leads to a yield increase of 10 to 15% on the same agricultural area."

Dirk Inzé, Hilde Nelissen, et al. Altered expression of maize PLASTOCHRON1 enhances biomass and seed yield by extending cell division duration. Nature Communications, 2017; 8: 14752 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14752


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 18 2017, @01:04PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 18 2017, @01:04PM (#480823)

    ethanol not particularly clean

    True dat.