Scientists Discover Hidden “Teamwork Genes” in Plants That Could Revolutionize Crop Yields

In a breakthrough study published this week in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers have identified genetic factors that determine whether plants behave as “team players” or “selfish competitors” when grown together – findings that could lead to more productive and sustainable crops worldwide.

The research team, led by Dr. Jay Biernaskie at Oxford University, studied almost 500 genetically diverse lines of Arabidopsis thaliana (a small flowering plant related to mustard and cabbage) to uncover the genetic basis of plant competitiveness.

The Green Revolution 2.0?

The findings build on principles that sparked the original Green Revolution of the 1960s, when the introduction of shorter wheat and rice varieties dramatically boosted global food production. Those shorter plants were less competitive and directed more energy toward grain production rather than competing for sunlight with neighboring plants.

The study notes that “the group benefit of Green Revolution genes in wheat and rice crops may be partly explained by reduced shading among dwarfed (shortened) plants.”

Beyond Height: The Genetics of Plant Cooperation

The research team confirmed that a gene called ERECTA, which creates shorter plants with more compact growth, significantly increased group productivity. When plants with this genetic variant were grown together, their total yield was notably higher than groups of taller plants without the variant.

According to the study, “groups of dwarfed plants produced significantly more total siliques [seed pods] than groups of tall plants,” suggesting that the dwarfed plants were less competitive and more cooperative.

But the true breakthrough came when researchers discovered genetic factors affecting plant cooperation beyond just height. Using sophisticated genetic mapping techniques, they identified a previously unknown region on chromosome 4 that influences how competitively plants behave, regardless of their size.

The researchers write that their findings suggest “the possibility of a novel gene (or genes) for reduced competitiveness.”

Implications for Future Food Security

As the global population continues to grow, finding ways to increase crop yields sustainably becomes increasingly urgent. Traditional breeding has often focused on individual plant traits rather than how plants perform in groups.

The study concludes that “modern genomic resources, and especially the growing number of multi-parent populations in crops, should be excellent tools for addressing this challenge. Plant breeders could use these populations and adopt the methods of our approach to find novel genes for more cooperative crops.”

This approach could potentially help identify plants that naturally maximize field-wide production rather than competing with each other, increasing yields without requiring additional land, water, or fertilizer.