Discoveries
Plant Biology
Plant Biology
To match human population growth, world agricultural production must double over the next quarter century. At Salk, we study plants so that humans will have the food, clothing, energy and medicines they need now and in the future.

Getting to the root of how plants tolerate too much iron

Iron is essential for plant growth, but with heavy rainfall and poor aeration, many acidic soils become toxic with excess iron. This can a affect the availability of staple foods, such as rice. Associate Professor Wolfgang Busch, first author Baohai Li and collaborators have found a major genetic regulator of iron tolerance, a gene called GSNOR. The findings could lead to the development of crop species that produce higher yields in soils with excess iron.

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