Genetic variation in photosynthesis: many variants make light work.

Abstract

Advances in breeding practices during the ‘Green Revolution’ in the 1960s have helped to maintain crop yields in the face of population growth. However, finding opportunities for further improvements is increasingly challenging, particularly due to the negative impacts of climate change (Dusenge et al., 2019). Solutions to this challenge must be found in new technologies, including new genetic engineering strategies, high-throughput phenotyping approaches, and greater exploitation of the available genetic variation within crop germplasms. Traditional breeding practices have yet to be exploited efficiently for the production of significant improvements in crop photosynthetic efficiencies. Achieving this in concert with new technologies is now a major goal.