Towards commercial exploitation of a transcription factor from Arabidopsis for improved water productivity in an arable crop species.

Improved water productivity is emerging as the important target trait for crop breeding programmes that will contribute to the sustainable use of water resources. The term 'water productivity' means the amount of crop yield for a given amount of water supplied. The ideal water productivity trait should promote a high yield under well-watered conditions and under water-limited conditions, should maintain an economically viable yield. Consequently, any gene which has the potential to improve this trait is of immense importance to future crop breeding programmes. We have discovered that a transcription factor (TF) gene from Arabidopsis when over-expressed in the same species confers improved water productivity in a range of water availabilities. The gene was identified from our previous and still current BBSRC funded research. This project has a single objective, to establish 'proof of principle' that when the Arabidopsis TF gene is transformed and over-expressed in oil seed rape it can confer improved water productivity upon this species. once 'proof of principle' is established, the gene could be exploited for a wide range of novel uses from crops to household plants, anywhere the use of water for growing plants is an important factor. This project will allow the University to retain a strong influence over the intellectual property concerning this gene, allowing us to license our findings to the widest number of potential users.