Photoprotective-based strategies to enhance crop yield under fluctuating light conditions

Photosynthesis is a fundamental biological process, and optimizing its efficiency is crucial for increasing crop yields without expanding cultivated land. Photosynthesis is finely regulated, and plants employ photoprotective mechanisms such as non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and alternative electron pathways to dissipate excess energy and avoid potential damage. In field conditions, light availability fluctuates rapidly due to environmental variability and canopy architecture, creating alternating periods of saturating illumination and shade, a context where photoprotection mechanisms are essential but also generate energy losses. Promising improvements in light-use efficiency have been obtained by optimizing NPQ response to field conditions, though impacts vary across species. These results highlight the need for strategies tailored to species and environment and for exploration of complementary approaches targeting other mechanisms.