ZmSPL12 Overexpression for Salt-Alkali and Low-Nitrogen Maize
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Solution Overview
Problem
Soil salinization and excessive nitrogen use in agriculture lead to reduced crop yield and environmental pollution, necessitating the development of salt-tolerant, alkali-tolerant, and low nitrogen-tolerant maize varieties for global food security and sustainable agricultural development.
Innovation Solution
Introduction of an over-expressed ZmSPL12 gene construct into plants, which enhances salt, alkali, and low nitrogen tolerance through the use of specific nucleotide sequences and promoters, enabling plants to acquire stress-resistant phenotypes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional agricultural practices are used with high nitrogen fertilizer application, then crop yield can be maintained, but environmental pollution increases and planting costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the genetic parameter of the plant by introducing and overexpressing the ZmSPL12 gene, which alters the plant's physiological response to nitrogen and stress conditions. This genetic parameter change enables the plant to maintain yield with reduced nitrogen input, thereby reducing environmental pollution from fertilizer runoff.
2Productivity
If conventional agricultural practices are used with high nitrogen fertilizer application, then crop yield can be maintained, but farmers' planting costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By modifying the genetic parameter through ZmSPL12 overexpression, the plant develops improved nitrogen use efficiency, requiring less external nitrogen fertilizer input. This reduces the quantity of substance (fertilizer) needed, directly lowering planting costs while maintaining crop yield.
3Productivity
If plants are grown in salt-affected soil, then agricultural production continues, but crop yield and quality significantly reduce
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the genetic parameter by overexpressing ZmSPL12, which modifies the plant's physiological response to salt stress. This enables the plant to maintain normal growth and yield performance in salt-affected soils by improving osmotic adjustment and ion homeostasis, thereby counteracting the harmful salt stress effects.
4Adaptability or versatility
If new maize varieties with salt-alkali tolerance and low nitrogen tolerance are cultivated, then global food grain security is improved, but research and development investment is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the key functional gene ZmSPL12 from maize and isolates its overexpression construct as a discrete genetic element. This extracted gene can be transferred across different maize varieties and even to other crops, simplifying the breeding process by providing a ready-to-use genetic solution for multi-stress tolerance without requiring complex multi-gene breeding programs.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for improving agronomic traits of plants and the use thereof are provided. By means of overexpressing functional gene ZmSPL12 in plants, the salt stress resistance, alkali stress resistance and/or resistance to low nitrogen of plants are improved. The method and the use thereof provide the possibility for cultivating new salt-alkali resistant, and low-nitrogen resistant crop varieties, especially new com varieties, and are of great significance for global grain safety and agricultural sustainable development.