New research by scientists at the University of Calgary has found plants, including canola, rice and tomatoes, actively shut down their own ability to take in iron when they experience drought.
It is a finding that could have implications for the nutritional value of agricultural crops.
The study, published in the journal Cell, questions whether plants send out a “cry for help” when they are stressed by drought to recruit beneficial soil microbes like bacteria and fungi in their roots.
“We found this shift is the result of specific changes to plant roots,” said Connor Fitzpatrick, lead author and assistant professor of biological sciences at U of C, in a press release.
“It happens because plants, under drought stress, dial down both their immune systems and their iron uptake machinery.”
Drought ‘rewires’ how plants manage nutrients
Fitzpatrick added it allows a particular group of bacteria, called streptomyces, to thrive — but it does not automatically mean healthier plants. Some streptomyces strains help, while others hinder.
“Together, this leads to a new way of thinking about plant-microbe interactions during drought,” said Fitzpatrick.
“Drought doesn’t just stress plants. It fundamentally rewires how they manage nutrients and interact with the microbial world around them.”
A growing risk for crop nutrition
The research is important for plant biology, but also provides insight into global food security and human nutrition.
“Iron deficiency is already one of the most widespread nutritional disorders in the world, affecting billions of people. Much of the iron in human diets comes from plants such as cereals and legumes,” said Fitzpatrick.
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