Katherine Meacham-Hensold, Amanda Cavanagh, Peyton Sorensen, Paul South, Jessica Fowler, Ryan Boyd, Jooyeon Jeong, Steven Burgess, Samantha Stutz, Ryan Dilger, Moonsub Lee, Nick Ferrari, Justin Larkin, Don Ort

Over two growing seasons, a chloroplast localized synthetic glycolate metabolic pathway expressed in potato enhanced tuber biomass. We confirmed that this yield benefit did not come at the cost of tuber quality. In 2022 after two early season natural heatwaves, we observed enhanced daily carbon assimilation rates and increased photosynthetic capacity, with transformed plants having up to 23% higher V_cmax and 13% higher J_max during tuber bulking stages,  indicating that transformed plants were better able to withstand growing season heatwaves than untransformed controls. The increases in photosynthetic capacity and potato tuber mass after early season heatwaves was greater than in seasons without heatwaves and presents the AP3 pathway as a promising avenue for yield increases in the face of forecast increased intensity and duration of heatwave events as a result of global warming.

Over two growing seasons, a chloroplast localized synthetic glycolate metabolic pathway expressed in potato enhanced tuber biomass. We confirmed that this yield benefit did not come at the cost of tuber quality. In 2022 after two early season natural heatwaves, we observed enhanced daily carbon assimilation rates and increased photosynthetic capacity, with transformed plants having up to 23% higher V_cmax and 13% higher J_max during tuber bulking stages,  indicating that transformed plants were better able to withstand growing season heatwaves than untransformed controls. The increases in photosynthetic capacity and potato tuber mass after early season heatwaves was greater than in seasons without heatwaves and presents the AP3 pathway as a promising avenue for yield increases in the face of forecast increased intensity and duration of heatwave events as a result of global warming.