Climate Proofing of Food Crops: Genetic Improvement for Adaptation to High Temperatures in Drought Prone Areas and Beyond

Climate change is now largely accepted as a real and pressing global problem. The Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change (IPCC) considers four families of socio-economic development and associated emission scenarios known as Special Report on Emissions Scenarios: A2, B2, A1, and B1. Out of these; A1, the ‘‘business-as-usual scenario,’’ corresponds to the highest emissions of greenhouse gases and aerosol precursors, and B1 corresponds to the lowest, the other scenarios being intermediate between these two. It has recently been estimated that developing countries will bear 70-80% of the costs of climate change damage with agriculture being the most impacted sector. The main impacts of climate change on agriculture will most probably be experienced through higher temperatures (increase in minima and maxima), altered changes in rainfall patterns (in amount, spatial and temporal distributions), increased rates of evaporation, increased intensity and frequency of extreme events (floods and droughts), and raise of sea level affecting coastal areas where large quota of cultivated land are located (intrusion of salty water).

The responses that agriculture systems world wide can put in place to cope with the expected impact of climate change and to reduce the food insecurity range from institutional and policy levels to the best management practices and technology advancement. An important opportunity in terms of technology advancement is offered by the genetic improvement of crops that can adapt to the future climate conditions; i.e., “climate proofing” crops. Additionally, data collected from the selected crops: rice and common bean during the course of the CRP may be useful for a study of mathematical models for responses to high temperature in association with AquaCrop - FAO.

This CRP will focus on improving the grain yields of a major cereal (rice) and a grain legume (common bean) to high temperature stress in the face of climate change. These two crops are essential staples in the diets of millions of impoverish and vulnerable populations, and therefore any attempt in increasing their yields under high temperature stress could have a major and positive impact in terms of food security, improved health and income generation. The intent is to develop tools that allow plant breeders using mutation programs together with enhancing plant biotechnologies to develop improved crop varieties with higher and wider adaptability to temperatures variations as according to SRES predictions. Up to 10 research contracts are expected to be awarded and four no cost agreement holders from advanced laboratories with solid knowledge in the selected technologies and fields of expertise invited to share their experience with the contract holders. In addition, it is foreseen that 2 technical contracts will be awarded for services in identification and isolation of mutant genes in model crops using high throughput DNA technologies. Coordination and technical management will be handled by the scientific secretary in the Plant Breeding and Genetics Section.