Stomata are pores in the leaf surface, which in our key crop plants (soybean, cowpea) open in light and close in shade. They allow carbon dioxide (CO2) to enter the leaf, while at the same time ensuring the plant doesn’t lose too much water and become dried out. Before CO2 in a plant can begin photosynthesis, it must first pass through the stomata into air space within the leaves. Then, it will spread out to the cells adjacent to the air space and into the chloroplasts (green plant cells), where it can start the photosynthetic process. Throughout a regular day, a plant will experience many light fluctuations due to clouds, wind, and other plants. The stomata’s slow speeds of opening and closing during these light fluctuations results in unnecessary water loss and inefficiencies in the photosynthetic process. RIPE researchers are exploring ways to (1) accelerate the reaction time of stomata to improve its efficiency in current environments and environments with elevated CO2; and (2) increase photosynthetic water use efficiency by reducing the number or size of stomata.
Mesophyll is the inner tissue of leaves which contains the chloroplasts. Mesophyll conductance describes the ease with which CO2 can diffuse from the leaf air space into the chloroplasts. RIPE researchers are modifying the walls of the mesophyll cells to aid CO2 diffusion, which will help increase photosynthesis without affecting water use. This focus is of particular importance because of the need to increase crop productivity without using more water, which is a diminishing resource in many areas of agricultural production.
Stomata are pores in the leaf surface, which in our key crop plants (soybean, cowpea) open in light and close in shade. They allow carbon dioxide (CO2) to enter the leaf, while at the same time ensuring the plant doesn’t lose too much water and become dried out. Before CO2 in a plant can begin photosynthesis, it must first pass through the stomata into air space within the leaves. Then, it will spread out to the cells adjacent to the air space and into the chloroplasts (green plant cells), where it can start the photosynthetic process. Throughout a regular day, a plant will experience many light fluctuations due to clouds, wind, and other plants. The stomata’s slow speeds of opening and closing during these light fluctuations results in unnecessary water loss and inefficiencies in the photosynthetic process. RIPE researchers are exploring ways to (1) accelerate the reaction time of stomata to improve its efficiency in current environments and environments with elevated CO2; and (2) increase photosynthetic water use efficiency by reducing the number or size of stomata.
Mesophyll is the inner tissue of leaves which contains the chloroplasts. Mesophyll conductance describes the ease with which CO2 can diffuse from the leaf air space into the chloroplasts. RIPE researchers are modifying the walls of the mesophyll cells to aid CO2 diffusion, which will help increase photosynthesis without affecting water use. This focus is of particular importance because of the need to increase crop productivity without using more water, which is a diminishing resource in many areas of agricultural production.