More and tastier tomatoes
What the researchers found is that to maximize yield, there can't be too much or too little florigen. A mutation in one copy of the gene results in the exact dose of
right florigen required to cause heterosis.
The scientists have observed the gene's heterosis effect in different varieties of tomatoes and in plants grown in different climate and soil conditions, both in Israel and in New York at CSHL and the Cornell Horticultural Experiment Station at Riverhead, NY.
In addition to superior yield, the hybrids also display another, perhaps equally important quality - taste. Tomato plants produce a finite amount of sugar, which they distribute equally among their fruits. This means that higher yields usually result ineach fruit having a lower sugar content. But, remarkably, the florigen gene also boosted sugar content (sweetness) of the individual fruits.
This study marks the first example of a single gene that consistently causes heterosis. The scientists are now looking to team up with agricultural companies to develop the hybrids for commercial use.
The concept that mutations in one copy of a single gene can improve yield has broad implications for breeders. Mutant plants are usually thrown away because of the notion that mutations would have negative effects on growth, but this study suggests that hybrid mutations might lead the next revolution of
right improved crops.
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