LUMS Researchers Help International Scientists Discover Compounds That Could Make Crops More Drought-Resistant
Researchers at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) have contributed to an international study that identified two chemical compounds that could help plants better withstand drought.
The research, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications, was co-authored by LUMS Associate Professor Dr. Khurram Bashir and PhD researcher Farhan Aziz. Scientists from Japan, Italy, Germany and Spain also participated in the study.
The researchers identified a small molecule called NS5806 and its derivative, UA49, which can improve drought tolerance in plants.
The compounds influence potassium channel activity and help regulate the opening and closing of stomata. These microscopic pores on plant leaves control water loss and gas exchange.
Plants normally produce the hormone abscisic acid during drought conditions, causing their stomata to close and reducing water loss. However, applying the hormone externally can delay seed germination and stunt root growth.
Laboratory experiments showed that NS5806 and UA49 could provide drought-tolerance benefits without causing these side effects.
The findings suggest that the compounds work through an alternative signalling pathway.
The study also identified a previously unknown connection between potassium channel activity and calcium signalling in guard cells, which control stomatal movement.
The discovery could eventually help efforts to develop crops that require less water and can better survive drought conditions.
However, researchers stressed that the discovery remains at an early stage. The compounds still need extensive testing on major agricultural crops under real-world field conditions before they can be considered for practical agricultural use.
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