Nitrogen fertilizer represents one of the largest input costs in agriculture, and accounts for approximately one-fifth of the operating costs for a corn producer. In the US alone, farmers spend more than $3 billion annually on nitrogen fertilizer application of corn fields. Plants typically absorb less than half of the nitrogen fertilizer applied, while most of the rest leaches into the groundwater. Evogene's NUE (Nitrogen Use Efficiency) project is aimed at enhancing the plant's utilization of nitrogen fertilizer.
Utilizing its ATHLETE platform, Evogene used vast amounts of genomic and expression data from corn, arabidopsis, tomato, sorghum, rice, sugar cane and other plant species to identify novel genes that would improve NUE through genetic modification.
Leading candidate genes that underwent in vitro and model plant screening have displayed improved NUE through several independent assays in arabidopsis and tomato. Arabidopsis plants over expressing these genes have produced 30% and higher seed yield compared to control plants under low Nitrogen conditions.
Leading candidate genes were licensed to Monsanto Company for introduction into corn, soybean, cotton and canola.
In 2007 Evogene has initiated a second round of gene discovery, aiming at identifying an additional set of genes that are involved in other NUE mechanisms.
Genetically modified Arabidopsis plants over expressing a NUE candidate gene remain green when grown under limiting nitrogen conditions (left), while non transgenic plants (control) display signs of nitrogen starvation (right)
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More Trait Development (Genetic Modification) projects:
Resistant Banana to Black Leaf Streak Disease
Incresed Yield Monocots
Increased Yield Dicot
Improved Abiotic Stress Tolerance
Background
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