Editing dual-function susceptibility genes for multistress-resilient crops

Climate change increasingly exposes crops to simultaneous abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, and heat, alongside disease, yet crop improvement often treats these threats as separate objectives. We argue that suitable susceptibility (S) genes should be considered as potential dual-function targets in crop biotechnology and breeding. Inactivating S genes can improve disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance; we term genes with experimental support for both benefits as dual-function S genes. We propose to prioritise these genes and their orthologs in many crops and to screen candidates in both directions by testing S genes for abiotic stress benefits and testing negative abiotic stress regulators for disease resistance. With CRISPR technologies and regulatory frameworks maturing, such editing could support the development of climate-ready crops.