Breeding crops for drought-affected environments and improved climate resilience

Area of Science:

• Plant breeding and genetics
• Climate change adaptation
• Agricultural science

Background:

• Climate change necessitates the development of climate-resilient crops with enhanced stress resistance.
• Breeding programs face challenges in heterogeneous environments, requiring advanced strategies.

Approach:

• Utilized the breeder's equation framework to review methodologies for improving drought resistance.
• Analyzed breeding strategies for target populations of environments (TPEs) with mixed drought and favorable conditions.

Key Points:

• Case study of temperate maize improvement in the US Corn Belt compared to other crops and regions.
• Emphasized the need for integrating trait information across genomic to ecosystem scales.
• Highlighted the role of transdisciplinary teams in accelerating breeding outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Accelerated breeding requires novel germplasm and improved cultivars suited to local environments.
• Modified agronomic management strategies are crucial for successful crop adaptation.
• Future efforts must focus on developing superior crop products that outperform existing ones.