Climate adaptation in a minor crop species: is the cocoa breeding network prepared for climate change?

Farrell, Aidan D.; Rhiney, Kevon; Eitzinger, Anton; Umaharan, Pathmanathan

doi:10.1080/21683565.2018.1448924

Cited by 25 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…It is likely that traits conferring tolerance to a variety of abiotic stresses may be beneficial across a range of stresses and highlights the importance of testing germplasm under various and interacting environmental conditions. Research has shown that breeding for resilience to multiple environmental stresses at the same time is the most effective way forward (Farrell et al 2018). Interestingly, during a severe drought in the field in Brazil, cacao clones not selected for drought tolerance, but another beneficial trait (usually high yields or disease resistance) showed greater tolerance than hybrids or common Amelonado types.…”

Section: Identification Of Tolerant Genotypesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Breeding in cacao to date has largely focused on yields and pest and disease tolerance, with limited focus on breeding for climate resilience. However, according the Farrell et al (2018), the cacao accessions currently available are sufficient for effective breeding to be achieved.…”

Section: Identification Of Tolerant Genotypesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mapping populations or genome-wide association studies may be useful strategies in speeding up the identification of specific climate resilience traits and the incorporation of these into future breeding programmes. Farrell et al (2018) have highlighted the fact that despite calls for one, no program is in place for climate change resilience breeding cacao. Cacao is lagging behind other major crops in the development of varieties capable of withstanding predicted changes in climate and long-term commitment, and coordination by the various partners is required to bring breeding efforts in cacao up to speed with other crops (Farrell et al 2018).…”

Section: Linking Physiological Responses and Their Underlying Geneticmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The physiological responses of cacao to the environment and the implications for climate change resilience. A review

Lahive

Hadley

Daymond

2018

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

152

109

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Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) is a tropical perennial crop which is of great economic importance to the confectionary industry and to the economies of many countries of the humid tropics where it is grown. Some recent studies have suggested that climate change could severely impact cacao production in West Africa. It is essential to incorporate our understanding of the physiology and genetic variation within cacao germplasm when discussing the implications of climate change on cacao productivity and developing strategies for climate resilience in cacao production. Here, we review the current research on the physiological responses of cacao to various climate factors. Our main findings are as follows: (1) water limitation causes significant yield reduction in cacao, but genotypic variation in sensitivity is evident; (2) in the field, cacao experiences higher temperatures than is often reported in the literature; (3) the complexity of the cacao/shade tree interaction can lead to contradictory results; (4) elevated CO 2 may alleviate some negative effects of climate change; (5) implementation of mitigation strategies can help reduce environmental stress; and (6) significant gaps in the research need addressing to accelerate the development of climate resilience. Harnessing the significant genetic variation apparent within cacao germplasm is essential to develop modern varieties capable of high yields in non-optimal conditions. Mitigation strategies will also be essential, but to use shading to best effect shade tree selection is crucial to avoid resource competition. Cacao is often described as being sensitive to climate change, but genetic variation, adaptive responses, appropriate mitigation strategies and interactive climate effects should all be considered when predicting the future of cacao production. Incorporating these physiological responses to various environmental conditions and developing a deeper understanding of the processes underlying these responses will help to accelerate the development of a more resource use efficient tree ensuring sustainable production into the future.

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Section: Identification Of Tolerant Genotypesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Identification Of Tolerant Genotypesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Linking Physiological Responses and Their Underlying Geneticmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The physiological responses of cacao to the environment and the implications for climate change resilience. A review

Lahive

Hadley

Daymond

2018

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

152

109

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The livelihood of millions of smallholder farmers and the survival of several national economies in Africa, Latin America, and Asia depend on crops usually considered commodities, or minor or orphan crops; examples are coffee (Coffea arabica L.) and cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) [4][5][6]. These crops are also believed to be at risk due to climate change [4,6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, a better understanding of the physiology and reproductive biology of papaya may facilitate its adaptation to climate change [9]. Unlike in major crops, minor tropical crops do not benefit from large public and private breeding programs that stress genomic and marker-assisted recurrent selection but rather focus on simple methods that prioritize backcrossing [5]. Hence, new approaches are urgently needed [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chromosome Engineering in Tropical Cash Crops

Bolaños-Villegas

2020

Agronomy

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Tropical and subtropical crops such as coffee, cacao, and papaya are valuable commodities, and their consumption is a seemingly indispensable part of the daily lives of billions of people worldwide. Conventional breeding of these crops is long, and yields are threatened by global warming. Traditional chromosome engineering and new synthetic biology methods could be used to engineer new chromosomes, facilitate the transmission of wild traits to improve resistance to stress and disease in these crops, and hopefully boost yields. This review gives an overview of these approaches. The adoption of these approaches may contribute to the resilience of agricultural communities, lead to economic growth and secure the availability of key resources for generations to come.

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Number of harvest years and selection for productivity, witches’ broom resistance, stability, and adaptability in cacao

et al. 2022

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A suitable statistical model for the analysis of repeated measures is a prerequisite for an accurate genetic selection of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) genotypes. Thus, the objectives of this study were to (a) evaluate homoscedastic and heteroscedastic repeatability models, (b) estimate the optimal number of harvest years for genetic selection, and (c) identify and select biparental crosses with high productivity, witches' broom (Moniliophthora perniciosa Stahel & Philips-Mora) resistance, stability, and adaptability. Twenty biparental crosses were evaluated in a complete randomized blocks design, with seven replications and 12 trees per plot for 10 harvest years. Evaluated traits were number of healthy fruits (NHF), number of symptomatic fruits for witches' broom (NWBF), dry bean weight (DBW), and fruit index (FI). Variance components were estimated by restricted maximum likelihood, and genotypic values were predicted by best linear unbiased prediction. The best-fitted repeatability model for each trait was indicated by Akaike's information criterion. The additive index was used for simultaneous selection for productivity, witches' broom resistance, stability, and adaptability. The heteroscedastic repeatability model showed the best fit for all traits. For HF, WBF, and FI, two and seven harvest years were sufficient for selection aiming at recombination and recommendation, respectively. For NWBF, evaluated only from the seventh year onwards, one harvest year was enough for recombination and three for recommendation. Five biparental crosses with high productivity, witches' broom resistance, stability, and adaptability were selected for recombination and/or for competition trials for recommendation. Such results can help define efficient strategies and optimize cacao breeding programs.

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Climate adaptation in a minor crop species: is the cocoa breeding network prepared for climate change?

Cited by 25 publications

References 56 publications

The physiological responses of cacao to the environment and the implications for climate change resilience. A review

The physiological responses of cacao to the environment and the implications for climate change resilience. A review

Chromosome Engineering in Tropical Cash Crops

Number of harvest years and selection for productivity, witches’ broom resistance, stability, and adaptability in cacao

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