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Updated: Feb 19, 2024 05:41 IST

Tel Aviv [Israel], February 19 (ANI/TPS): An worldwide staff of Israeli-led researchers unveiled a major enchancment to the method of genetically cloning crops, probably revolutionizing trendy agriculture.
The breakthrough, spearheaded by consultants from Tel Aviv University and the Volcani Institute in Rishon LeZion after eight years of research, enhances the effectivity of rooting cuttings from mature timber, an important side of agricultural propagation.
“Cutting propagation” is a technique of plant propagation the place a chunk of a dad or mum plant akin to a stem or department is used to develop a brand new plant.
The standard technique of chopping propagation includes treating cuttings with the plant hormone auxin to induce root development. However, the efficacy of this therapy varies amongst totally different plant species, posing challenges for widespread adoption. Building on present information, the researchers aimed to reinforce the effectiveness of auxin by exploring slow-release formulations.
Through meticulous experimentation, a “library” of artificial auxin varieties was developed, with compounds exhibiting promising outcomes recognized and additional refined. These compounds facilitated extended auxin launch inside plant cells, considerably boosting rooting percentages in numerous species.
The findings have been not too long ago revealed within the peer-reviewed Nature Biotechnology.

To perceive the mechanisms underlying this enhancement, the researchers investigated the mode of motion of the brand new compounds utilizing mannequin crops. They discovered that the artificial auxin used within the compounds exhibited higher stability inside plant cells and recognized a household of enzymes accountable for its launch. This perception paved the way in which for broader functions throughout totally different plant species.
Research scholar Ohad Roth explains: “The initial examination identified a number of compounds that have a positive effect on the rooting process, and further research focused on the most effective one,” defined research scholar Ohad Roth. “We discovered that this compound enables a combination of high permeability to the plant with a prolonged release of the active substance, the synthetic auxin, so that the auxin stays in the plant much longer – up to a week and a half.”
The examine’s significance was underscored by its success in propagating argan timber, traditionally difficult resulting from their reliance on sexual replica through seeds.
“The global demand for argan oil is increasing year by year, because it is incorporated into a large variety of food, health and skincare products. But to date, the almost exclusive source of this oil is the fruits of argan trees that grow endemically in Morocco, and multiply by sexual reproduction, i.e. through seeds. All efforts to turn argan into an agricultural crop, which can be propagated by rooting cuttings, have failed – including attempts here in Israel,” the researchers stated.
“We took cuttings from several argan trees growing in Israel, exposed them to the material we developed, and in this way succeeded in producing a large number of seedlings from elite selections,” they stated, including that in addition they noticed encouraging outcomes from comparable experiments with apple, poplar and eucalyptus timber.
The upgraded therapy elevated the rooting share of the eucalyptus cuttings to 60 per cent — as much as six instances greater than the rooting percentages discovered utilizing the usual technique, the researchers famous.
The staff stated its findings will cut back the price of rooting procedures, enhance the standard of produce, and assist develop new crops able to adapting to difficult local weather situations. (ANI/TPS)