Drought-Tolerant Crops and Resurrection Plants

The video discusses the importance of developing drought-tolerant crops to ensure food security in the face of climate change and population growth. It highlights resurrection plants as a potential solution due to their ability to survive extreme desiccation. The speaker explains the challenges in creating such crops, the research conducted on resurrection plants, and the potential use of genetic modification to enhance crop resilience. The video concludes with future research directions aimed at mimicking the natural processes of resurrection plants in modern crops.

What is the primary reason for developing drought-tolerant crops according to the introduction?

• To enhance the aesthetic value of crops

• To reduce water usage in agriculture

• To provide food security in the face of population growth and climate change

• To increase agricultural profits

What is the estimated world population by 2050?

• 12 billion

• 9 to 10 billion

• 7 billion

• 5 billion

Why is water considered essential for life on Earth?

• It is a habitat for most organisms

• It is a universal solvent

• All life reactions occur in water

• It is a source of energy

Which plant is known as the 'upside-down tree' due to its root-to-shoot ratio?

• Pine

• Baobab

• Maple

• Cactus

What is a common strategy of annual plants to survive dry seasons?

• Storing water in leaves

• Developing deep roots

• Producing desiccation-tolerant seeds

• Growing in shaded areas

What percentage of plant food supplies is made up by wheat, rice, and maize?

• 95%

• 70%

• 100%

• 50%

What unique ability do resurrection plants possess?

• They can grow without sunlight

• They can produce their own water

• They can photosynthesize at night

• They can survive extreme dehydration and revive with water

How many flowering plant species are known to have desiccation tolerance like resurrection plants?

• 200

• 135

• 50

• 500

What is the main goal of the genetic research on resurrection plants?

• To create new plant species

• To activate drought-tolerance genes in crops

• To increase the size of crops

• To make crops more colorful

What is the role of antioxidants in genetically modified crops?

• To increase growth rate

• To stop damage from free radicals

• To change color

• To enhance flavor