Plant biologists have thought of a new way to increase the of crops by as much as 20 per cent. They have genetically modified part of the in plants that is responsible for photosynthesis. Of course, photosynthesis is the most chemical reaction in the world. It is the process where plants use to change carbon dioxide into . This means we can all breathe. The scientists have found a for plants to use the they get from sunlight better, so they grow bigger and produce more . Lead researcher Professor Stephen Long said his team is genetically modifying staple crops such as rice, , maize and soybean – the world's biggest crops.
The scientists targeted the mechanism that plants use to protect from damage when the Sun's are too strong. To prevent damage, plants turn their energy into , which disappears into the air. However, this heat-loss process continues even when block the Sun. The scientists put extra copies of the heat-loss genes into modified plants. These copies speed up the heat-loss process so the plants can more return to using to grow. Professor Long believes this could help the world's food . He said if he could get 20 per cent more food from crops, "that would [reduce] what we see as the future pressure on food ".
