SCIENTISTS at the University of York have discovered a gene in plants which could help to increase future crop yields.

Researchers in the university’s Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP) identified a feature of a plant’s temperature sensing and growth mechanism, which plays a significant role in the plant’s growth rate.

The study, published in the journal, Current Biology, showed that plants without the gene grew faster at lower temperatures, but had the same tolerance to freezing as plants with the gene.

Researchers claimed the fact that most British crops were winter varieties and sown in the autumn, so plants that can grow larger during the lower temperatures of autumn, winter and spring had the potential to yield more biomass and larger numbers of seeds.

Dr Steve Penfield, leader of the research team, said: “There is potential for this discovery to be used to increase crop yields by extending the growing season particularly in spring and autumn.”

The research also involved scientists from the Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Edinburgh.