Improving plant reproductive success under heat stress: A sweet approach

Plant reproductive processes are highly susceptible to heat stress, which often leads to pollination failure and fruitand seed abortion, hence irreversible yield loss. Our research has established that cell wall invertase (CWIN)-mediated sugar metabolism and signaling may play crucial roles in pollen growth and fruit set under heat stress.This project aims to determine how genetic manipulation of CWIN activity could regulate pollen germination,elongation and fruit set under heat stress using tomato as a model. The intended outcome is the generation ofcritical knowledge that will advance understanding on reproductive development under heat stress, therebyproviding novel ideas and solutions for improving crop yield under Global Warming.