A hidden daily rhythm inside tomato plants could help scientists develop crops that produce higher yields while using less water, according to new research from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The study, led by Dr. Sanbon Chaka Gosa and Prof. Menachem Moshelion from the Faculty of Agriculture at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, found that the timing of when tomato plants open and close their microscopic leaf pores may be just as important as the number of pores they possess. The findings could give plant breeders a powerful new way to identify drought-resilient crops as climate change places increasing pressure on agriculture.
Published in Plant Science, the research focused on stomata, tiny pores that allow plants to absorb carbon dioxide for photosynthesis while also losing water through transpiration. Instead of relying on traditional single-point measurements, the researchers continuously monitored whole-plant water use, allowing them to capture how plants respond to changing environmental conditions throughout the day.
The team combined years of field performance data with advanced greenhouse phenotyping to compare drought response across genetically diverse tomato lines. They found that the strongest-performing 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.
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