Improving yield by exploiting mechanisms underlying natural variation of photosynthesis

Increasing photosynthesis in C3 species has been identified as an approach to increase the yield of crop plants. Most of our knowledge of photosynthetic performance has come from studies in which plants were grown in controlled growth conditions but plants in natural environments have to cope with unpredictable and rapidly changing conditions. Plants adapt to the light environment in which they grow and this is demonstrated by the differences in anatomy and morphology of leaves in sun and shade leaves. Superimposed on this are the dynamic responses of plants to rapid changes in the light environment that occur throughout the day. Application of next generation sequencing (NGS), QTL analysis and innovative phenomic screening can provide information to underpin approaches for breeding of higher yielding crop plants.