How a humble plant may help us save crops from drought
Plants suffer greatly during summer droughts, which can lead to billions of dollars in lost crops, and a higher demand for irrigation. This can cause a decline in productivity, resulting in food shortages and rising prices. It’s a familiar story – but one that might soon change.
Researchers from Colorado State University, the University of Colorado, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have shown conclusively that plants can help themselves recover from severe drought, without outside intervention.
This process, called “refilling,” has been debated by plant scientists for years. But the new research demonstrates that it can happen naturally in plants.
The science behind plant recovery
When plants dry out, they suffer damage deep inside. Their water transport system, known as the xylem, becomes blocked by gas bubbles. These bubbles, called embolisms, prevent water from flowing.
In many plants, recovery is difficult of even impossible once embolisms have formed. Scientists have long debated whether plants can clear these blockages on their own. Some experiments suggested they could, but the methods used raised doubts.
Traditional studies often involved cutting plants and forcing water back into the tissues under unnatural pressures. Critics pointed out that this could create “artifacts” – results that didn’t reflect what happens in nature.
Observing plant recovery in real-time
To settle the debate, the CSU, CU, and USDA team took a different approach. They used a micro-CT scanner, an advanced type of X-ray machine, to watch the plants without harming them. This machine allowed the researchers to observe internal plant processes as they unfolded in real time.
What they found was striking. Within 24 hours of watering, a type of wild grass that had become dehydrated showed a complete reversal of embolism. Its water transport system – initially almost entirely blocked – returned to full function.
“This is the first convincing evidence of the reversal, or refilling, of embolism in a vascular plant species, with the plant regaining full functional recovery afterward,” said Sean Gleason, a researcher with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, and a CSU affiliate.
What this means for crops
The implications are significant. If scientists can understand the genetic mechanisms behind refilling, they might be able to breed crops that can survive droughts more effectively.
The team has already started looking for other plants with this trait. The hope is to identify the genetic triggers that make refilling possible. Once found, these traits could be introduced into agricultural crops.
“If a plant can recover from drought quickly by refilling, then you might be able to recoup some losses during a drought year,” said Troy Ocheltree, a CSU associate professor in the Warner College of Natural Resources.
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