Indian scientists at Cornell University crack code for drought-resistant crops

KOLKATA: In a landmark discovery with significant implications for global food security, a team of researchers at Cornell University has uncovered a new mechanism that allows plants to thrive while using less water. At the forefront of this breakthrough are three Indian scientists including Piyush Jain, Sabyasachi Sen, and Sahil Desai, who were instrumental in the research. While Jain is a graduate from IIT Kanpur and did his PhD at Cornell University, Sen pursued an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering at IIT Kharagpur and is currently a PhD candidate at the prestigious university in the USA.

Their findings, soon to be published in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveal a previously unknown pathway in leaves that improves water use efficiency in crops. This innovation offers a promising solution for agriculture in an era of increasing drought and could revolutionize crop breeding. The discovery opens the door for new collaborations across the crop science and agriculture communities to develop new drought-resilient plants worldwide.

The trio believes the discovery carries immense potential for India. Agriculture here depends heavily on the monsoon, and water stress limits the productivity of major crops like maize, rice, and wheat. "If this newly discovered mechanism can be harnessed in crop breeding, it could help develop varieties that maintain high yields with less water which would be a breakthrough for farmers across India’s dryland regions. We would be delighted to collaborate with maize breeders in India, to explore how this mechanism can be applied in the Indian context. Together, we can take this scientific insight from the lab to the field, helping build a more sustainable future for Indian agriculture," the Indian scientists said.