Integrating C₄ photosynthesis into C₃ crops to increase yield potential. (Special Issue: Food biotechnology - Plant biotechnology.)

摘要

The growth rate of the human population is faster than improvements in crop yields. To feed people in the future, multiple strategies are required. One proposed approach is to raise the yield potential of C₃ crops by modifying photosynthesis to the more efficient C₄ pathway. Owing to complex changes associated with C₄ photosynthesis, it is no understatement to define this conversion as one of the Grand Challenges for Biology in the 21st Century. Here we outline the challenges of installing a C₄ system and assess how new approaches and knowledge may help achieve this goal.Digital Object Identifier http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2011.12.011