While a promising route to boosting crop yields, experts say more work needs to be done to understand why the tweak works
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Transplanting a human protein, known for promoting growth, into crops may engender larger, heavier and more bountiful plants. (jxfzsy/Getty Images)
By Shi En Kim
SMITHSONIANMAG.COM
AUGUST 17, 2021
325168
Every year, 9 million people in the world succumb to hunger?that’s more than the deaths from AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. But the solution to the global hunger crisis isn’t as simple as ramping up agricultural production.
For one, agriculture comes with a hefty carbon footprint, contributing 10 to 20 percent of the global greenhouse gases annually. Then, chemical overuse sows resistance in the pests and pathogens the substances intend to kill, making it harder for farmers to eradicate their associated diseases the next time around. Runoff from fertilizers may also pollute waterways.
It’s not enough to grow more food?humanity needs to grow more efficiently.
With an eye toward feeding the world’s growing population in a sustainable way, researchers from China and the U.S. may have found a clever solution?in the form of supersizing crops. Transplanting a human protein, known for promoting growth, into crops may engender larger, heavier and more bountiful plants, boosting agricultural yields by a whopping 50 percent, according to the new study in Nature Biotechnology. While the results are promising, experts say that more research needs to be done to test their agricultural mettle and ensure that the gains are replicable.
