are hopeful that understanding the stress response of crop plants such as wheat could eventually help farmers to address resulting reduced yields.
Stress conditions inhibit the growth of plants, because they produce poorly folded and unfolded proteins in their effort to tolerate the environmental conditions that trigger this response, researchers at Iowa State University have found.
While this is a useful survival tactic for plants in the wild, among crops it reduces overall yields.
Lead researcher professor Stephen Howell and other scientists found that this stress and subsequent poor cell-folding is the result of a process taking place in the endoplasmic reticulum cell, which responds to an alarm-like stress response.
He believes that disabling some of these cell stress responses could boost yields.
Professor Howell noted: "That may make the plant be more productive under stress conditions.
"You want them to continue to grow and produce even though they are under stress."
Typical Guttridge equipment used in the agricultural industry includes; Elevators – bucket elevators – valves
