How engineered walnuts combat drought through grafting

Drought is a major threat to walnut production globally, often resulting in lower yields and weaker trees. While grafting has traditionally been used to improve the resilience of fruit and nut trees, the exact mechanisms of signal transfer between rootstocks and scions have remained elusive. Given these challenges, there is a pressing need to explore how genetic modifications in rootstocks can be leveraged to enhance drought tolerance in walnut trees. Drought is a major threat to walnut production globally, often resulting in lower yields and weaker trees. While grafting has traditionally been used to improve the resilience of fruit and nut trees, the exact mechanisms of signal transfer between rootstocks and scions have remained elusive. Given these challenges, there is a pressing need to explore how genetic modifications in rootstocks can be leveraged to enhance drought tolerance in walnut trees. Biotechnology Agriculture Phys.org – latest science and technology news stories