Multi-omics approaches for strategic improvement of stress tolerance in underutilized crop species: A climate change perspective

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehanathan Muthamilarasan ◽  
Nagendra Kumar Singh ◽  
Manoj Prasad
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Stress Tolerance ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Underutilized Crop

scholarly journals Engineering Climate-Change-Resilient Crops: New Tools and Approaches

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 7877
Author(s):  
Fahimeh Shahinnia ◽  
Néstor Carrillo ◽  
Mohammad-Reza Hajirezaei
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Plant Growth ◽  
Sustainable Agriculture ◽  
Stress Tolerance ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Plant Science ◽  
Chemical Treatments ◽  
Coated Nanoparticles ◽  
Rapid Climate Change ◽  
Protective Resources

Environmental adversities, particularly drought and nutrient limitation, are among the major causes of crop losses worldwide. Due to the rapid increase of the world’s population, there is an urgent need to combine knowledge of plant science with innovative applications in agriculture to protect plant growth and thus enhance crop yield. In recent decades, engineering strategies have been successfully developed with the aim to improve growth and stress tolerance in plants. Most strategies applied so far have relied on transgenic approaches and/or chemical treatments. However, to cope with rapid climate change and the need to secure sustainable agriculture and biomass production, innovative approaches need to be developed to effectively meet these challenges and demands. In this review, we summarize recent and advanced strategies that involve the use of plant-related cyanobacterial proteins, macro- and micronutrient management, nutrient-coated nanoparticles, and phytopathogenic organisms, all of which offer promise as protective resources to shield plants from climate challenges and to boost stress tolerance in crops.

scholarly journals Advances in Cereal Crop Genomics for Resilience under Climate Change

Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 502
Author(s):  
Tinashe Zenda ◽  
Songtao Liu ◽  
Anyi Dong ◽  
Huijun Duan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Genome Sequencing ◽  
Gene Editing ◽  
Agronomic Traits ◽  
Cereal Crops ◽  
Agricultural System ◽  
Plant Genomics ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Underutilized Species ◽  
Recent Developments

Adapting to climate change, providing sufficient human food and nutritional needs, and securing sufficient energy supplies will call for a radical transformation from the current conventional adaptation approaches to more broad-based and transformative alternatives. This entails diversifying the agricultural system and boosting productivity of major cereal crops through development of climate-resilient cultivars that can sustainably maintain higher yields under climate change conditions, expanding our focus to crop wild relatives, and better exploitation of underutilized crop species. This is facilitated by the recent developments in plant genomics, such as advances in genome sequencing, assembly, and annotation, as well as gene editing technologies, which have increased the availability of high-quality reference genomes for various model and non-model plant species. This has necessitated genomics-assisted breeding of crops, including underutilized species, consequently broadening genetic variation of the available germplasm; improving the discovery of novel alleles controlling important agronomic traits; and enhancing creation of new crop cultivars with improved tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses and superior nutritive quality. Here, therefore, we summarize these recent developments in plant genomics and their application, with particular reference to cereal crops (including underutilized species). Particularly, we discuss genome sequencing approaches, quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and genome-wide association (GWAS) studies, directed mutagenesis, plant non-coding RNAs, precise gene editing technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9, and complementation of crop genotyping by crop phenotyping. We then conclude by providing an outlook that, as we step into the future, high-throughput phenotyping, pan-genomics, transposable elements analysis, and machine learning hold much promise for crop improvements related to climate resilience and nutritional superiority.

scholarly journals Climatic suitability predictions for the cultivation of macadamia in Malawi using climate change scenarios.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Junior Zuza ◽  
Yoseph Negusse Araya ◽  
Kadmiel Maseyk ◽  
Shonil A Bhagwat ◽  
Kaue de Sousa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
General Circulation Models ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
Northern Regions ◽  
Rcp 8.5 ◽  
Model Approach

Climate change is altering suitable areas of crop species worldwide, with cascading effects on people and animals reliant upon those crop species as food sources. Macadamia is one of Malawi's most important and profitable crop species. Here, we used an ensemble model approach to determine the current distribution of macadamia producing areas across Malawi in relation to climate. For future distribution of suitable areas, we used the climate outputs of 17 general circulation models (GCM's) based on two climate change scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5). We found that the precipitation of the driest month and isothermality were the climatic variables that strongly influenced macadamia's suitability in Malawi. These climatic requirements were fulfilled across many areas in Malawi under the current conditions. Future projections indicated that large parts of Malawi's macadamia growing regions will remain suitable for macadamia, amounting to 36,910 km2 (39.1%) and 33,511 km2 (35.5%) of land based on RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, respectively. Of concern, suitable areas for macadamia production are predicted to shrink by −18% (17,015 km2) and −22% (20,414 km2) based on RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, respectively, with much of the suitability shifting northwards. Although a net loss of area suitable for macadamia is predicted, some currently unsuitable areas will become suitable in the future. Notably, suitable areas will increase in Malawi's central and northern regions, while the southern region will lose most of its suitable areas. In conclusion, our study provides critical evidence that climate change will significantly affect the macadamia sub-sector in Malawi. Therefore area-specific adaptation strategies are required to build resilience.

Use of fungal endophytes to increase cucurbit plant performance by conferring abiotic and biotic stress tolerance

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanley Freeman ◽  
Russell Rodriguez ◽  
Adel Al-Abed ◽  
Roni Cohen ◽  
David Ezra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Tolerance ◽  
Fungal Pathogens ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Fungal Endophytes ◽  
Limited Resource ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Plant Performance ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Desert Areas

Major threats to agricultural sustainability in the 21st century are drought, increasing temperatures, soil salinity and soilborne pathogens, all of which are being exacerbated by climate change and pesticide abolition and are burning issues related to agriculture in the Middle East. We have found that Class 2 fungal endophytes adapt native plants to environmental stresses (drought, heat and salt) in a habitat-specific manner, and that these endophytes can confer stress tolerance to genetically distant monocot and eudicot hosts. In the past, we generated a uv non-pathogenic endophytic mutant of Colletotrichum magna (path-1) that colonized cucurbits, induced drought tolerance and enhanced growth, and protected 85% - 100% against disease caused by certain pathogenic fungi. We propose: 1) utilizing path-1 and additional endophtyic microorganisms to be isolated from stress-tolerant local, wild cucurbit watermelon, Citrulluscolocynthis, growing in the Dead Sea and Arava desert areas, 2) generate abiotic and biotic tolerant melon crop plants, colonized by the isolated endophytes, to increase crop yields under extreme environmental conditions such as salinity, heat and drought stress, 3) manage soilborne fungal pathogens affecting curubit crop species growing in the desert areas. This is a unique and novel "systems" approach that has the potential to utilize natural plant adaptation for agricultural development. We envisage that endophyte-colonized melons will eventually be used to overcome damages caused by soilborne diseases and also for cultivation of this crop, under stress conditions, utilizing treated waste water, thus dealing with the limited resource of fresh water.

scholarly journals Social Organization and Agricultural Strategies to Face Climate Variability: A Case Study in Guaraciaba, Southern Brazil

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Bonatti ◽  
Sandro L. Schlindwein ◽  
Ana Carolina F. De Vasconcelos ◽  
Stefan Sieber ◽  
Luiz Renato D Agostini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Social Organization ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Adaptation Strategy ◽  
Support Network ◽  
Southern Brazil ◽  
Biodiversity Management ◽  
Crop Species

<p>Climate scenarios and projections have suggested that the impacts of climate change on land use will be noticed particularly by the communities that depend on natural resources for their subsistence. The climate vulnerability of poor communities varies greatly, but in general, climate change combines with other threats and becomes superimposed on existing vulnerabilities. This paper presents a case study that strives to understand the social organization in a vulnerable community of Guaraciaba, in southern Brazil, to investigate aspects of an adaptation strategy to climate change based on the local development and conservation of landraces of a set of crop species. Landraces are varieties better adapted to adversities, especially drought, which is an important threat to the famers in the region. Every farmer receives annually a “kit of biodiversity”, a set of local varieties with the amount of seeds necessary to be cultivated in order to produce enough food for the family. The study had a qualitative approach and was carried out through semi-structured interviews with technicians and 30% of the rural families who farm with landraces. The study concludes that the factors that make this adaptation strategy sustainable are: the ability to undertake actions strongly based on local socio-cultural needs (a social support network), biodiversity management practices designed to reduce external economic dependence, self management of genetic resources, the establishment of priorities based on locally available resources, a work plan for community participation (field days, a community based festival), the establishment of the roles of community in the planning and implementation of programs for biodiversity management.</p>

Agricultural sustainability and underutilized crop species in southern Italy

2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. B. Polignano ◽  
G. Laghetti ◽  
B. Margiotta ◽  
P. Perrino
Keyword(s):  
Southern Italy ◽  
Agricultural Sustainability ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Underutilized Crop

Barley in Archaeology and Early History

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Riehl
Keyword(s):  
Stress Tolerance ◽  
Bronze Age ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Alcoholic Beverages ◽  
Blood Cholesterol ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Glucose Levels ◽  
Cereal Production

In 2018 barley accounts for only 5% of the cereal production worldwide, and regionally for up to 40% of cereal production. The cereal represents the oldest crop species and is one of the best adapted crop plants to a broad diversity of climates and environments. Originating from the wild progenitor species Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum, biogeographically located in the Fertile Crescent of the Near East, the domesticated form developed as a founder crop in aceramic Neolithic societies 11,000 years ago, was cultivated in monocultures in Bronze Age Mesopotamia, entered the New World after 1492 ce, reached a state of global distribution in the 1950s and had reached approximately 200 accepted botanical varieties by the year 2000. Its stress tolerance in response to increased aridity and salinity on one hand and adaptability to cool climates on the other, partially explains its broad range of applications for subsistence and economy across different cultures, such as for baking, cooking, beer brewing and as an animal feed. Although the use of fermented starch for producing alcoholic beverages and foods is globally documented in archaeological contexts dating from at least the beginning of the Holocene era, it becomes concrete only in societies with a written culture, such as Bronze Age Mesopotamia and Egypt, where beer played a considerable role in everyday diet and its production represented an important sector of productivity. In 2004 approximately 85% of barley production was destined for feeding animals. However, as a component of the human diet, studies on the health benefits of the micronutrients in barley have found that it has a positive effect on blood cholesterol and glucose levels, and in turn impacts cardiovascular health and diabetes control. The increasing number of barley-breeding programs worldwide focus on improving the processing characteristics, nutritional value, and stress tolerance of barley within the context of global climate change.

scholarly journals The Impact of Drought in Plant Metabolism: How to Exploit Tolerance Mechanisms to Increase Crop Production

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (16) ◽  
pp. 5692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dhriti Kapoor ◽  
Savita Bhardwaj ◽  
Marco Landi ◽  
Arti Sharma ◽  
Muthusamy Ramakrishnan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Drought Stress ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Antioxidant Systems ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Change Factors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Stimulation Of

Plants are often exposed to unfavorable environmental conditions, for instance abiotic stresses, which dramatically alter distribution of plant species among ecological niches and limit the yields of crop species. Among these, drought stress is one of the most impacting factors which alter seriously the plant physiology, finally leading to the decline of the crop productivity. Drought stress causes in plants a set of morpho-anatomical, physiological and biochemical changes, mainly addressed to limit the loss of water by transpiration with the attempt to increase the plant water use efficiency. The stomata closure, one of the first consistent reactions observed under drought, results in a series of consequent physiological/biochemical adjustments aimed at balancing the photosynthetic process as well as at enhancing the plant defense barriers against drought-promoted stress (e.g., stimulation of antioxidant systems, accumulation of osmolytes and stimulation of aquaporin synthesis), all representing an attempt by the plant to overcome the unfavorable period of limited water availability. In view of the severe changes in water availability imposed by climate change factors and considering the increasing human population, it is therefore of outmost importance to highlight: (i) how plants react to drought; (ii) the mechanisms of tolerance exhibited by some species/cultivars; and (iii) the techniques aimed at increasing the tolerance of crop species against limited water availability. All these aspects are necessary to respond to the continuously increasing demand for food, which unfortunately parallels the loss of arable land due to changes in rainfall dynamics and prolonged period of drought provoked by climate change factors. This review summarizes the most updated findings on the impact of drought stress on plant morphological, biochemical and physiological features and highlights plant mechanisms of tolerance which could be exploited to increase the plant capability to survive under limited water availability. In addition, possible applicative strategies to help the plant in counteracting unfavorable drought periods are also discussed.

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