Top of the crops: new UTAS plant hormone research a boon for global food security

It is the master plant hormone that has the potential to be a game-changer for global food security. What UTAS researchers have uncovered about this “natural booster”.

Ross Pirrone, Nuffield scholar examining protected cropping technology; Ayr 200ha mixed farm in Queensland – crops, fodder crops, cattle, rice, horticultural crops

It is the master plant hormone that has the potential to be a game-changer for global food security.

University of Tasmania scientists have unveiled new research into the vital role played by auxin in regulating starch production in some of the world’s most important crops.

Published in the prestigious journal, Nature Communications, the UTAS study revealed how the hormone impacts the growth of rice, corn, and peas.

“It turns out this tiny molecule holds the key to how plants store energy, particularly in the form of starch,” said Adjunct Professor John Ross, who co-authored the paper alongside Dr Erin McAdam.

Professor John Ross from the University of Tasmania.

“Understanding auxin’s role could be a game-changer, especially for crops that billions rely on.”

Prof Ross said the study revealed that auxin was not just a growth hormone, but vital for seeds to properly stockpile starch, a vital component which he said made up 60 to 80 per cent of rice grains.

The published paper integrated a series of groundbreaking studies to reveal the three-part process which made auxin “a cornerstone” of crop development.

The hormone’s ability to boost the activity of starch-producing genes, fuel energy generation, and ensure efficient sugar flow into seeds, had dramatic implications for agriculture, Dr McAdam said.

CROPS: Andrew Pride Corn Crop Andrew Pride with his carn crop on farm at Kyabram.

“By tweaking auxin pathways, scientists might supercharge starch production in crops like rice and maize — essential staples for billions of people,” she said.

“Our work shows how a hormone plants already make can be harnessed to naturally boost carbohydrates in seed crops.

“There is huge scope for fundamental and applied research in this area, work that is critical if we want to feed billions of people”.

Researchers said that while the latest findings offered hope for improving food security, further studies would be required to unlock the science’s full potential.

Originally published as Top of the crops: new UTAS plant hormone research a boon for global food security