Purslane: This common weed can offer drought-resistant crops

Source: The post is based on the article “This common weed can offer drought-resistant crops” published in Down To Earth on 8th August 2022.

What is the News?

A study has found that a common weed named “Portulaca oleracea”, commonly known as purslane, offers important clues about creating drought-tolerant crops in a world beset by climate change.

What is Purslane?

Purslane is a succulent plant that grows in many countries because it thrives in poor soil.

It has an extensive distribution extending from North Africa and Southern Europe through the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent to Malaysia and Australasia.

Purslane possesses evolutionary adaptations that allow it to be both highly productive and drought tolerant.

How does Purslane remain drought tolerant according to the study?

Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants use sunlight to synthesize nutrients from carbon dioxide and water.

Over time, different species have independently evolved a range of distinct mechanisms to improve this process.

For example, corn and sugarcane have evolved ‘C4 photosynthesis’, which allows them to remain productive under high temperatures.

Meanwhile, cacti and agaves have evolved ‘CAM photosynthesis’, which allows them to thrive in areas with little water.

The study has found that the purslane plant integrates both these two distinct metabolic pathways namely C4 and CAM to create a novel type of photosynthesis. This allows the weed to endure drought while remaining highly productive.

Significance of the findings: The researchers hope these findings could inspire innovations in modifying corn and other crops to tolerate drought.