Scientists in Chile are studying how a small but resilient desert flower could hold the key to how crops and plants withstand drought conditions.
The Cistanthe longiscapa blooms during rare rainfall events in the Atacama desert, which is the driest non-polar desert in the world.
Researchers at Andres Bello University in Chile are conducting genetic sequencing experiments to uncover the traits that allow the flower to survive water scarcity and extreme temperature swings.
Ariel Orellana, director of their Plant Biotechnology Centre, said: “With climate change, droughts are becoming a serious problem for agriculture, for the world and our country.”
“We need plants that are capable of tolerating that drought.”
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