Event Details

Increased legume water use efficiency (WUE) could enhance sustainable intensification of agriculture under climate change, reducing both water and fertiliser requirements. By inhibiting stomatal development, we can pave the way for high WUE ‘Climate-Ready’ legumes for future food security.

Increased legume water use efficiency (WUE) could enhance sustainable intensification of agriculture under climate change, reducing both water and fertiliser requirements. Using Epidermal Patterning Factors to lower bean crop stomatal densities (SD) could improve WUE and drought resilience. Legume crops, and their rhizobial nitrogen fixing capacity are highly sensitive to water deficit, and stomatal transpiration drives transport of fixed N. If, by reducing SD in legume crops we enhance WUE, does it come at the cost of nitrogen fixation and yields? As rhizobial symbiosis is central to legume nitrogen use and WUE, an understanding of the coordination between stomata and nodules is essential if we are to develop novel legume crops for sustainable agriculture. By inhibiting stomatal development in the soybean model, we are beginning to address these questions, and paving the way for high WUE ‘Climate-Ready’ legumes for future food security.