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A Telemetric, Gravimetric Platform for Real-Time Physiological Phenotyping of Plant–Environment Interactions
Published on: August 5, 2020
Advances and prospects: biotechnologically improving crop water use efficiency
Zhang Zhengbin1, Xu Ping, Shao Hongbo
1Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Center of Agriculture Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, China Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shjiazhuang. zzb@sjziam.ac.cn
Critical Reviews in Biotechnology
|April 14, 2011
Summary
Bio-water saving enhances crop water use efficiency (WUE) through biological methods. Improving physiological WUE potential via breeding and biotechnology is key to advancing agricultural water conservation.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Plant Physiology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Bio-water saving focuses on reducing crop water consumption using biological measures, a critical aspect of agricultural water conservation.
- Water use efficiency (WUE) varies across crops, with physiological WUE being a key determinant of bio-watering success.
- Genetic diversity and molecular mechanisms underlying WUE are increasingly understood through gene identification and mapping.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review advancements in improving crop water use efficiency (WUE) through biological strategies.
- To discuss the role of physiological WUE potential and genetic factors in bio-water saving.
- To explore the integration of traditional breeding and modern biotechnology for enhanced agricultural water conservation.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on crop WUE, genetic diversity, and molecular mechanisms.
- Analysis of gene identification, cloning, and transfer for WUE improvement.
- Discussion of traditional breeding techniques and modern biotechnology applications.
Main Results:
- Significant progress has been made in identifying and mapping WUE genes in various crops.
- Gene transfer studies have demonstrated improvements in WUE and drought resistance.
- Enhanced agricultural practices and theoretical frameworks for improving crop WUE have been developed.
Conclusions:
- Crop WUE can be substantially improved through a combination of traditional breeding and modern biotechnology.
- Further research into molecular mechanisms is needed to advance industrial-scale transgenic applications.
- Bio-water saving holds significant potential for improving agricultural sustainability in water-limited environments.
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