How tomato 'golden hour' research could help crops survive heat waves and drought
What if the secret to drought-resistant crops isn't how much water plants use, but when they use it? A new study identifies a daily window that could help breeders develop tomatoes that better withstand drought without sacrificing yield.
A new study published in Plant Science has identified a daily window, dubbed the "golden hour," that could help breeders develop tomato plants that better withstand drought without sacrificing yield. The research, led by Dr. Sanbon Chaka Gosa and Professor Menachem Moshelion from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, found that the timing of when tomato plants open and close their microscopic leaf pores, known as stomata, may be just as important as the number of stomata they possess.
By continuously monitoring whole-plant water use, the researchers discovered that the strongest-performing tomato plants consistently displayed an early morning surge in stomatal activity, opening their stomata when sunlight was already strong but before heat and dry air greatly increased water loss. This period is described as a physiological "golden hour," during which plants maximize photosynthesis while minimizing unnecessary water loss.
The study suggests that understanding these dynamic patterns could give breeders new traits to target when developing crops that can thrive under increasingly unpredictable climate conditions.
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