Evolutionary Plant Breeding as a Response to the Complexity of Climate Change

Abstract

Summary Climate change is one of the processes that have already overstepped the safe planetary boundaries, together with the rate of biodiversity loss and human interference with the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles. The three processes are related to agriculture and, as such, to both food safety and food security, and ultimately to human health. Adaptation to climate change is a difficult breeding objective because of its complexity, its unpredictability, and its location specificity. However, one strategy exists, which is based on a more dynamic use of agrobiodiversity in agriculture through the cultivation of evolutionary populations. In this review, we show how the translation into agricultural practice of nearly 100 years of research on evolutionary populations and mixtures is able to address the complexity of climate change while stabilizing yield, decreasing the use of most agrochemicals, thus reducing emissions and producing healthy food.

DNA Variation in a Diversity Panel of Tomato Genetic Resources

“…A challenge for plant genetic resource managers and breeders is to anticipate target phenotypes for crop improvement. Increased pest, pathogen, and weed pressures, temperature and rainfall fluctuations, drought, salinization of soils, and human encroachment of agricultural lands are all seen as impending threats to crop production (Ceccarelli and Grando, 2020). Whatever breeding strategies are used, the understanding of natural genetic variation and its partitioning remains crucial for success (Ebert, 2020).…”

Ten Ways That Weed Evolution Defies Human Management Efforts Amidst a Changing Climate

“…For example, given the evolutionary potential of weeds as enhanced under climate change, an "evolutionary plant breeding" approach could be developed [147], both to counter evolutionary advances of weeds and incorporate the lessons weeds have taught us. The close evolutionary relationship between crops and weeds should facilitate this approach [37].…”

Home / Archives / Vol. 1 No. 2 (2020): July - December / Review Organic agriculture and evolutionary populations to merge mitigation and adaptation strategies to fight climate change

“…The recognition that heterogeneous populations, such as evolutionary populations (EP) and mixtures, constitute the ideal genetic materials for a breeding strategy addressing heterogeneous TPE, is particularly important today as a way of coping with the extraordinary complexity of climate change (Ceccarelli and Grando, 2020). Evolutionary populations (also known as Composite Cross Populations or Bulk Populations) are obtained by mixing the seed obtained from the crossing of a number of varieties, while mixtures are obtained by mixing the seed of a number of varieties (Wolfe and Ceccarelli, 2020).…”

“…Evolutionary populations (also known as Composite Cross Populations or Bulk Populations) are obtained by mixing the seed obtained from the crossing of a number of varieties, while mixtures are obtained by mixing the seed of a number of varieties (Wolfe and Ceccarelli, 2020). Ceccarelli and Grando (2020) have shown that climate change is a complex breeding objective because:…”

“…This evidence points to climate change as an extremely complex and evolving problem, requiring an evolving solution such as EPs and mixtures (Ceccarelli and Grando, 2020).…”