Plant Breeding in the face of climate change

Abstract

Climate change will have a net negative and inequitable impact on agriculture. Genetics for crop improvement ranks in the top set of technologies that can contribute to human adaptation to climate change. However, a framework for how to breed crops and for climate change adaptation, including the discovery of cultivars to enable new cropping systems is lacking. Here we propose a framework to develop new genotype (G) x management (M) (G x M) technologies to adapt to climate change, and to transition from current to future G x M technologies in a way that future food security does not come at the expense of current food security. The framework integrate genomic, agronomic, and environmental (E) predictors to accomplish two critical goals: 1-predict emergent phenotypes that stems from the dynamic interplay between G, E and M, and thus enable the breeder to consider the behavior of new genetic and trait combinations in environments that plants have not been exposed or tested before, and 2-identify G x M technologies that could increase food and nutritional security while regenerating natural and production resources. We highlight the need to invest in artificial intelligence and information technologies for breeders to harness multiple sources of information to create G x M technologies to address the diverse cultural and geographically granular societal needs.