Adapting Crops for Climate Change

UK researchers have uncovered a gene that may help in the development of crops able to cope with a changing climate. Responding to changing day length, the Ppd-H1 gene controls the timing of other genes that trigger flowering. Variations in the gene shift the bloom time of barley plants. Climate change is expected to produce drier hotter summers in Britain. The findings could be used by plant breeders to develop an earlier flowering barley that could survive summer droughts. Researchers expect to find similar genes in other crops.

Link:
Growing Crops To Cope With Climate Change from ScienceDailey

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:39 PM on February 2, 2006

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