Climate Change Adaptation - Climate Resilient Agriculture for Ensuring Food Security - page 223

Fig. 12.1 Monsanto's
drought-resistant corn, at
right , was tested next to
traditional corn plants on
the left (drought-aborted
kernels)

Fig. 12.2 Field performances of cotton plants. ( Left ) Phenotypes of segregated non-transgenic line, ( Right ) Phenotypes
of AVP1-transgenic line

Table 12.2 Biotechnology products showing longer-term promise for adaptation to climate change
Product

Trait Function Reference

Drought-tolerant
rice

HARDY (HRD) gene from
Arabidopsis , reducing transpiration
and enhancing photosynthetic
assimilation

Reduced transpiration,
increasing biomass/water use
ratio, adaptive increase of
root mass under water stress

Karaba et al. ( 2007 )

Drought-tolerant
tobacco (model)

Delayed drought-induced leaf
senescence

Retained water content and
photosynthesis resulting in
minimal yield loss under
drought (30 % normal water
requirements)

Rivero et al. ( 2007 )

Drought-tolerant
maize

Expression of glutamate
dehydrogenase (gdhA) gene from
E. coli

Germination and grain
biomass production under
drought increased

Castiglioni et al. ( 2008 )

Drought-tolerant
maize

Enhanced expression of
phosphatidylinositol-specifi c
phospholipase by ZmNF-YB2
reducing stomatal conductance and
so leaf temperature and water loss

Grain yield increases
through reduced wilting and
maintenance of
photosynthesis under
drought

Nelson et al. ( 2007 )

Salt-tolerant rice A QTL (Saltol) associated with

drought resistance

Allows close to normal yield
under high salinity situations
(Bangla Desh)

IRRI News ( 2009 )