Towards drought-tolerant crops: Enhancing plant skin transpiration barriers

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Canada is one of the top wheat producers in the world, and the majority of Canadian wheat is exported to global markets that will continue to grow considerably with the world population. However, in spite of this bright economic perspective, Canadian wheat supply has declined over the past decades due to severe droughts. To reverse this trend, more drought-tolerant wheat lines are needed so that production on existing fields is increased and cultivation of marginal lands is enabled. Also, drought-tolerant lines of other crops are urgently needed for rapidly expanding arid areas worldwide. Drought tolerance depends mainly on how plants can limit water loss during growth. All plants are protected against excessive transpiration by their waxy skins. However, the effectiveness of the skins differs vastly, from tight-sealed desert plants to crops with relatively poor transpiration control. This suggests that crops can be made more drought-tolerant if their skin is made less water-permeable. My research program aims to enable the breeding of drought-tolerant crops and to understand the function of the skin transpiration barrier. Major progress can be achieved in this area now, as the necessary tools for genetic testing and chemical analysis have recently been developed. This grant will support research into the biological function of plant surface coatings, with immediate application in crops. The objectives of this research are to 1) measure the water loss rates of Arabidopsis model plants with varying skin compositions; 2) survey model crop lines of tomato, wheat and rice for their skin water barriers; 3) map the distribution of waxes on plant surfaces; 4) investigate the natural mechanisms forming plant skin structures. Financial support is requested for a research team of 9 graduate students over five years. They will be trained through experimental work on state-of-the-art instruments, teaching experience, and acquiring soft skills beyond academic research. The proposed research will thus benefit Canada through the training of needed experts, the development of important knowledge, and generating drought-tolerant crop lines.