Gene that helps soya survive salty water found

In what could help in cultivating new varieties of soyabean that are tolerant to saline soil, researchers have identified a gene in wild soyabean which is linked to salt tolerance.

The team of researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, BGI and other institutes discovered a novel ion transporter gene, GmCHX1, and suggested it may be related to salt tolerance.

Soyabean is an important protein crop for the world. Through natural selection, the soyabean that we grow has lost a lot of variety as compared to wild soyabean. Some of the genes that have been lost are important to help the plant adapt to different environments.

In the study, published in the journal Nature Communications, the group used a wild soyabean variety called W05, known for a high tolerance to salt.

The wild variety W05 accumulates much less salt in its leaves even when treated with a salt solution.

As the wild and cultivated soyabean can inter-breed, this trait can be transferred to new soyabean varieties to give them the same advantage in saline water.