Perspectives on improving photosynthesis to increase crop yield.

Improving photosynthesis, the fundamental process by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy, is a key area of research with great potential for enhancing sustainable agricultural productivity and addressing global food security challenges. This perspective delves into the latest advancements and approaches aimed at optimizing photosynthetic efficiency. Our discussion encompasses the entire process, beginning with light harvesting and its regulation and progressing through the bottleneck of electron transfer.

Reducing chlorophyll levels in seed-filling stages results in higher seed nitrogen without impacting canopy carbon assimilation.

Chlorophyll is the major light-absorbing pigment for plant photosynthesis. While evolution has been selected for high chlorophyll content in leaves, previous work suggests that domesticated crops grown in modern high-density agricultural environments overinvest in chlorophyll production, thereby lowering light use and nitrogen use efficiency. To investigate the potential benefits of reducing chlorophyll levels, we created ethanol-inducible RNAi tobacco mutants that suppress Mg-chelatase subunit I (CHLI) with small RNA within 3 h of induction and reduce chlorophyll within 5 days in field conditions.

Short- and long-term warming events on photosynthetic physiology, growth, and yields of field grown crops.

Global temperatures are rising from increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere associated with anthropogenic activities. Global warming includes a warmer shift in mean temperatures as well as increases in the probability of extreme heating events, termed heat waves. Despite the ability of plants to cope with temporal variations in temperature, global warming is increasingly presenting challenges to agroecosystems.