[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I believe that the secret to producing\Nextremely drought tolerant crops,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which should go some way\Nto providing food security in the world,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,lies in Resurrection plants,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,pictured here, in an extremely\Ndroughted state.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now you might think\Nthat these plants look dead,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but they're not.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Give them water,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they will resurrect, green up,\Nstart growing,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in 12 to 48 hours.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,No why would I suggest
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that producing drought tolerant crops\Nwill go towards providing food security?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well the current world population\Nis around 7 billion.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it's estimated that by 2050,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we'll be between 9 and 10 billion people,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with the bulk of this growth\Nhappening in Africa.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The food and agricultural\Norganizations of the world
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have suggested that we need a 70 percent\Nincrease in current agricultural practice
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to meet that demand.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now given that plants\Nare at the base of the food chain,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,most of that's going\Nto have to come from plants.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now that percentage of 70 percent
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,does not take into consideration\Nthe potential effects of climate change.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is taken from a study by Dye\Npublished in 2011,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where he took into consideration\N
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all the potential effects\Nof climate change
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and expressed them\Namongst other things,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,increased aridity due to lack or rain\Nor infrequent rain.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now the areas in red shown here,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are areas that until recently, have been\Nvery successfully used for agriculture,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but cannot anymore\Nbecause of lack of rain fall.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is the situation\Nthat's predicted to happen in 2050.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Much of Africa,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in fact much of the world,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is going to be in trouble.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We're going to have to think of some\Nvery smart ways of producing food.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And preferably among them,\Nsome drought-tolerant crops.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The other thing to remember about Africa
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is that most of the\Nagriculture is rain fed.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now making drought-tolerant crops\Nis not the easiest thing in the world.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the reason for this is water.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Water is essential to life on this planet.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,All living, actively\Nmetabolizing organisms,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from microbes to you and I,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are comprised predominately of water,\N
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all life reactions happen in water,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and loss of a small amount\Nof water results in death.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You and I are 65 percent water,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we lose one percent of that, we die.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But we can make behavioral\Nchanges to avoid that.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Plants can't.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They're stuck in the ground.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So in the first instance, they have\Na little bit more water than us,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about 95 percent water,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they can lose\Na little bit more than us,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like 10 to about 70 percent,\Ndepending on the species,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but for short periods only.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Most of them will either try to resist\Nor avoid water loss.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So extreme examples of resistors\Ncan be found in succulents,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they tend to be small, ver attractive,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but they hold onto their water\Nat such great cost
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that they grow extremely slowly.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Examples of avoidance of water loss\Nare found in trees and shrubs.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They send down very deep roots,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,mine subterranean water supplies,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and just keep flushing\Nit through them at all times,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,keeping themselves hydrated.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The one on the right is called a Baobab,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's also called the upside-down tree,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,simply because the proportion\Nof roots to chutes is so great
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that it looks like the tree\Nis being planted upside down.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And of course the roots are required\Nfor hydration of that plant.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And probably the most common strategy\Nof avoidance is found in annuals.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Annuals make up the bulk\Nof our plant food supplies.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Up the west coast of my country,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for much the year you don't see\Nmuch vegetation growth.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But come the spring rains,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you get this.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Flowering of the desert.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now the strategy in annuals,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is to grow only in the rainy season.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At the end of that season\Nthey produce a seed,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is dry, eight to 10 percent water,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but very much alive.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And anything that is that dry\Nand still alive,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we call desiccation-tolerant.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The next time the rainy season comes,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they germinate and grow,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the whole cycle just starts again.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's widely believed that the evolution\Nof desiccation-tolerant seeds
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,allowed the colonization and the radiation\Nof flowering plants, or angiosperms,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,onto land.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But back to annuals\Nas our major form of food supplies.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Wheat, rice and maze form 95 percent\Nof our plant food supplies.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it's been a great strategy,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because in a short space of time\Nyou can produce a lot of seed,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,seeds are energy-rich so you can\Nstore a lot of food calories,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you can store it in times of plenty\Nfor times of famine,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but there's a down side.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The vegetative tissues,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the roots and leaves of annuals,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,do not have much by way
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of inherent resistance, avoidance\Nor tolerance characteristics.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They just don't need them.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They grow in the rainy season
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they've got a seed to help them\Nsurvive the rest of the year.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so despite concerted\Nefforts in agriculture
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to make crops with improved properties
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of resistance, avoidance and tolerance --
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,particularly resistance and avoidance
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because we've had good models\Nto understand how those work --
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we still get images like this.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Maze crop in Africa,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,two weeks without rain,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it's dead.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now there is a solution.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Resurrection plants.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These plants can lose 95 percent\Nof their cellular water,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,remain in a dry, dead-like state\Nfor months to years,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and give them water,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they green up and start growing again.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Like seeds, they are desiccation-tolerant.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Like seeds, these can withstand extremes\Nof environmental conditions.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And this is a really rare phenomenon.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There are only 135 flowering\Nplant species that can do this.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm going to show you a video
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of the resurrection process\Nof these three species
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in that order.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And at the bottom,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there's a time axis so you can see\Nhow quickly it happens.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Video]
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Applause)
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Pretty amazing, huh?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I've spent the last 21 years\Ntrying to understand how they do this.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How do these plants dry without dying?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I work on a variety of different\NResurrection plants,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,shown here in the hydrated and dry states,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for a number of reasons.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One of them being is that\Neach of these plants serve as a model
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for a crop that I'd like\Nto make drought-tolerant.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So on the extreme top left for example,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is a grass, it's called\NEragrostis Nindensis,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's called a close relative called\NEragrostis Tef,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a lot of you might know it as "Tef,"
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's a staple food in Ethiopia,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's gluten-free,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it's something we would like\Nto make drought-tolerant.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The other reason for looking\Nat a number of plants,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is that, as least initially,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I wanted to find out:\Ndo they do the same thing?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Do they all use the same mechanisms
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to be able to lose\Nall that water and not die?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I undertook what we call\Na Systems Biology approach.