Efforts to genetically modify cucumber plants to grow their leaves in a more orderly, vertical alignment—ideal for robotic harvesting—have hit a dead end, according to new research by PhD candidate Merijn Kerstens at Wageningen University & Research.
Kerstens explored whether the natural spiral leaf arrangement in cucumbers could be altered by introducing traits from mutant thale cress plants, which occasionally show deviations from the typical 137.5-degree "golden angle" pattern. His focus was on PLETHORA transcription factors, proteins involved in plant growth and organ positioning.
Initial signs were promising, but inconsistencies between experiments in different growth chambers revealed a hidden twist—literally. Variations in stem twisting and growth speed, influenced by environmental conditions like lighting and humidity, explained the unexpected patterns rather than a true genetic shift.
Ultimately, Kerstens concluded that modifying cucumbers to grow in a robot-friendly format isn't feasible. "That too is science," he says. "The chance of successfully transferring such traits between species is quite small."
Still, the research provided valuable insights into how PLETHORA transcription factors operate across plant species—knowledge that could inform future plant biology and breeding strategies.
Source: WUR from within
