Chinese scientists have successfully developed a new cotton variety resistant to verticillium wilt by introducing the stress-resistant gene from desert moss into cotton.

Foreign Media: Researchers from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, have transferred stress-resistant genes from a desert moss to Xinjiang cotton, cultivating a genetically modified cotton variety resistant to Verticillium wilt.

Verticillium wilt, known as "cotton cancer," can severely affect crop yields of cotton and other plants. Experiments show that under pathogen infection conditions, the yield of the genetically modified cotton is approximately 23.8% higher than that of the non-transgenic control group.

This study was published in the Journal of Plant Biotechnology. The research team believes that using genes from extremophile species to improve crops holds broad prospects. Xinjiang is China's largest cotton-producing region, and this advancement is part of the nation's efforts to ensure food security and strengthen agricultural competitiveness through biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and other means.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1867445363077322/

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