FLOODS, DROUGHTS, heat waves and other weather extremes are getting worse and more common. The most recent continuous rains here at VSU have caused fears on what could happen like landslides. New diseases and pests are threatening crops, too. These not only endanger the livelihood of farmers but also could lead to global food shortages.
For devastating floods, farmers need a special type of rice. Scientists had now modified the rice DNA to contain a specific bit of genetic material called SUB1A. This gene helps rice plants survive being completely submerged for up to two weeks. Scientists added the gene to modern rice, which can now produce more grain and has a better taste than the ancient rice.
To withstand the effects of climate change, the world needs many more successes like this one. Genetic upgrades, such as this Sub1 rice, can help if they let plants survive diseases and bad weather. But some scientists don’t just want to help crops survive climate change. They’re looking to develop crops that actively fight climate change.
Plants are the best carbon-capturing machines on Earth. Scientists are going to try to engineer the crops so that they channel carbon into the soil.
But turning crops into carbon-sucking superheroes is a complex process. Some researchers are working to help plants draw more CO2 out of the air. Others are studying plant roots and soil microbes in their search for how to make plants stick more carbon underground and for longer.
How do you engineer the carbon cycle? First you improve photosynthesis, so plants suck in more CO2 from the air. Then you make plants better at sending CO2‘s carbon down to their roots. Finally, you keep this carbon underground with the help of microbes in the soil.
Plants can’t actually use all the sunlight when full sun is shining on the leaves. In fact, too much sunlight can damage plant cells. To guard against this, plants have something like a safety valve. In full sun, it kicks on and vents sunlight as heat. In the end, only around 3 percent of the sunlight that a leaf absorbs ends up powering photosynthesis.
The safety valve stays open for seconds to minutes. In some cases, it may stay open for as long as half an hour, even after shade returns. On many modern farms, plants grow so close together that the leaves overlap a lot. They experience rapidly changing patches of sun and shade. If leaves’ “safety valves” could respond to changing light faster, then plants could capture sun energy they are currently missing.
Farmers will want to see that these new crops produce a lot of high-quality grains or fruits. To achieve widespread use, such plants also will need to hold up well against extreme weather, pests and disease. The good news is that sucking more carbon out of the air tends to lead to larger, healthier plants and healthier soils. By Manny Palomar, PhD (EV Mail September 29-October 5, 2025 Issue)
