Chinese team injects desert moss gene into Xinjiang cotton to beat fungus, boost output
Scientists report potential to boost cotton yield by nearly a quarter after inserting stress-resistance gene from a species of steppe moss
The resulting genetically modified plant showed improved resistance to Verticillium wilt, sometimes known as “cotton cancer”, which can also affect other crops, including fruits and vegetables.
The transgenic cotton had “an approximate 23.8 per cent yield increase relative to non-transgenic counterparts under pathogen infection conditions”, according to the team’s paper published in the peer-reviewed Plant Biotechnology Journal in April.
Transgenic organisms have had genes from another species inserted into them before. Popular examples of transgenic crops include golden rice, which has been edited to produce beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A.
The transgenic cotton could reduce the impact of the devastating fungal disease. The team said its method also showed a “promising strategy” for improving crops by using genes from species that live in extreme environments.
Xinjiang is China’s largest cotton-producing province and in recent years the country has been transforming the region’s deserts to grow a variety of crops, such as rice, wheat and fruit.