scholarly journals Proposed Revision of the National Gene Technology Scheme for Australia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Redden
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Gene Technology ◽  
Gm Foods ◽  
Disease Resistances

Plant breeding was provided access to wider genetic variation through genetic modification (GM) of crops in the 1980s. This involved transfer of DNA between species, and introduction of new traits into domestic crops. Concerns were raised for the outcomes in food health and in the environment with GM crops, with the spectre of ‘Frankenstien’ foods and fear of the unknown. This led to widespread adoption of GM regulations based on the ‘Precautionary principle’ of safeguarding the risks to health and to the environment, even when scientific evidence was lacking to support these concerns. The Green lobby required GM foods to be safe for consumption, with no ill-effects over the long term and for many generations into the future. GM foods have proven safe for over two decades, and with benefits to crop productivity, pest and disease resistances, improved nutrition and tolerances of extreme climatic stresses. GM includes the new biotechnology of Genome Editing (GE), with targeted and precise changes to gene sites, and inter-specific transfer of genes from poorly accessible Crop Wild Relatives (CRW), for adaptation of crops to climate change. Food and fibre crops need to be exempt from GM regulations.

scholarly journals Climate change and drought effects on rural income distribution in the Mediterranean: a case study for Spain

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
pp. 4353-4389
Author(s):  
S. Quiroga ◽  
C. Suárez
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Income Distribution ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Social Aspect ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Effects Of Drought ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. This paper examines the effects of climate change and drought on agricultural outputs in Spanish rural areas. By now the effects of drought as a response to climate change or policy restrictions have been analyzed through response functions considering direct effects on crop productivity and incomes. These changes also affect incomes distribution in the region and therefore modify the social structure. Here we consider this complementary indirect effect on social distribution of incomes which is essential in the long term. We estimate crop production functions for a range of Mediterranean crops in Spain and we use a decomposition of inequalities measure to estimate the impact of climate change and drought on yield disparities. This social aspect is important for climate change policies since it can be determinant for the public acceptance of certain adaptation measures in a context of drought. We provide the empirical estimations for the marginal effects of the two considered impacts: farms' income average and social income distribution. In our estimates we consider crop productivity response to both bio-physical and socio-economic aspects to analyze long term implications on both competitiveness and social disparities. We find disparities in the adaptation priorities depending on the crop and the region analyzed.

scholarly journals Crop adaptation to climate change as a consequence of long-term breeding

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rod J. Snowdon ◽  
Benjamin Wittkop ◽  
Tsu-Wei Chen ◽  
Andreas Stahl
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Major Gene ◽  
Stress Constraints ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Yield Stability ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Conventional Breeding ◽  
The Impact

AbstractMajor global crops in high-yielding, temperate cropping regions are facing increasing threats from the impact of climate change, particularly from drought and heat at critical developmental timepoints during the crop lifecycle. Research to address this concern is frequently focused on attempts to identify exotic genetic diversity showing pronounced stress tolerance or avoidance, to elucidate and introgress the responsible genetic factors or to discover underlying genes as a basis for targeted genetic modification. Although such approaches are occasionally successful in imparting a positive effect on performance in specific stress environments, for example through modulation of root depth, major-gene modifications of plant architecture or function tend to be highly context-dependent. In contrast, long-term genetic gain through conventional breeding has incrementally increased yields of modern crops through accumulation of beneficial, small-effect variants which also confer yield stability via stress adaptation. Here we reflect on retrospective breeding progress in major crops and the impact of long-term, conventional breeding on climate adaptation and yield stability under abiotic stress constraints. Looking forward, we outline how new approaches might complement conventional breeding to maintain and accelerate breeding progress, despite the challenges of climate change, as a prerequisite to sustainable future crop productivity.

scholarly journals Capturing genetic variation in crop wild relatives: An evolutionary approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1293-1304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Egan ◽  
Anne Muola ◽  
Johan A. Stenberg
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Evolutionary Approach

scholarly journals A global resource for exploring and exploiting genetic variation in sorghum crop wild relatives

Crop Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma S. Mace ◽  
Alan W. Cruickshank ◽  
Yongfu Tao ◽  
Colleen H. Hunt ◽  
David R. Jordan
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Wild Relatives

scholarly journals Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change: A Global Initiative to Collect, Conserve, and Use Crop Wild Relatives

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 369-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannes Dempewolf ◽  
Ruth J. Eastwood ◽  
Luigi Guarino ◽  
Colin K. Khoury ◽  
Jonas V. Müller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Global Initiative

scholarly journals Genetic Diversity and Utilization of Cultivated Eggplant Germplasm in Varietal Improvement

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1714
Author(s):  
Yusuff Oladosu ◽  
Mohd Y. Rafii ◽  
Fatai Arolu ◽  
Samuel Chibuike Chukwu ◽  
Monsuru Adekunle Salisu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Resources ◽  
Solanum Melongena ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Germplasm Resources ◽  
Biotic And Abiotic Stresses ◽  
Varietal Improvement ◽  
Disease Resistances ◽  
Solanaceae Family ◽  
Point Of Departure

Eggplant is the fifth economically most important vegetable in the Solanaceae family after tomato, potato, chili, and tobacco. Apart from the well-cultivated brinjal or aubergine eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), two other underutilized eggplant species, the African eggplant (S. macrocarpon L.) and the scarlet eggplant (S. aethiopicum L.), were also cultivated with local importance where the leaves and fruits are used for food and medicinal purposes. The major objectives of the eggplant breeding program are to improve fruit quality, increase yield performance through heterosis breeding, and introduce pest and disease resistances from wild relatives. Europe and Asia hold a wide collection of germplasm resources with significant potential for genetic improvement. While cultivated eggplant is susceptible to several fungi and bacteria, many wild relatives offer potential resistance to these pathogens. In this paper, we review the genetic resources and diversity of cultivated eggplant and its wild relatives. As a point of departure, we examine the economic importance, domestication, taxonomy characterization, and relationships of the crop and its wild relatives. The importance of evaluating and safeguarding wild relatives is highlighted, as crop wild relatives are highly underrepresented. A key section in this study is an overview dedicated to genetic resources, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, pre-breeding, and breeding for sustainable eggplant production.

scholarly journals Climate change and drought effects on rural income distribution in the Mediterranean: a case study for Spain

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1369-1385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Quiroga ◽  
Cristina Suárez
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Income Distribution ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
General Acceptance ◽  
Rural Income ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. This paper examines the effects of climate change and drought on agricultural incomes in Spanish rural areas. Present research has focused on the effects of these extreme climatological events through response functions, considering effects on crop productivity and average incomes. Among the impacts of droughts, we focused on potential effects on income distribution. The study of the effects on abnormally dry periods is therefore needed in order to perform an analysis of diverse social aspects in the long term. We estimate crop production functions for a range of Mediterranean crops in Spain and we use a measure of the decomposition of inequality to estimate the impact of climate change and drought on yield disparities. Certain adaptation measures may require a better understanding of risks by the public to achieve general acceptance. We provide empirical estimations for the marginal effects of the two impacts considered: farms' average income and income distribution. Our estimates consider crop production response to both biophysical and socio-economic aspects to analyse long-term implications on competitiveness and disparities. As for the results, we find disparities in the adaptation priorities depending on the crop and the region analysed.

Diversity and conservation priorities of crop wild relatives in Mexico

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aremi R. Contreras-Toledo ◽  
Moisés Cortés-Cruz ◽  
Denise E. Costich ◽  
Ma. de Lourdes Rico-Arce ◽  
Joana Magos Brehm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Gap Analysis ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Conservation Strategy ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Cultivated Plants ◽  
Conservation Priorities

AbstractCrop wild relatives (CWR) are valuable resources for crop breeding due to their close genetic relationship to the cultivated plants and their wide genetic variation, allowing the introgression of desirable traits into the crops, such as resistance to plant pests and diseases or adaptability to climate change. Mexico is a centre of agrobiodiversity, including CWR, but climate change, and other factors, are contributing to the loss of important Mexican CWR genetic diversity. The in situ and ex situ conservation status of Mexican priority CWR were assessed through a gap analysis as part of a national CWR conservation strategy for Mexico, to ensure the long-term preservation and improve the availability of these genetic resources. A set of 310 priority CWR taxa, previously identified as part of the national CWR inventory for Mexico, were analysed. Species distribution modelling and ecogeographic diversity analyses were used to detect gaps in in situ and ex situ conservation at taxon and ecogeographic levels. Priority target sites were identified throughout the country for complementary in situ and ex situ conservation of these taxa. The results obtained allow us to make recommendations for immediate conservation actions, thus helping to mitigate the threats to Mexican agrobiodiversity and enhance both national and global food security.

Climate change and crop wild relatives: can species track their suitable environment, and what do they lose in the process?

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 234-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marleen M. P. Cobben ◽  
Rob van Treuren ◽  
Theo J. L. van Hintum
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Genetic Resources ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Species Distribution Models ◽  
Plant Genetic Resources ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Founder Effects ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Dispersal Capacity

Crop wild relatives are an increasingly important source of plant genetic resources for plant breeders. Several studies have estimated the effects of climate change on the distribution of crop wild relatives, using species distribution models. In this approach, two important aspects, i.e. species' dispersal capacity and founder effects, are currently not taken into account. Neglecting these aspects can lead to an underestimation of the climate change-induced threat to the size of the species range and the conservation of range-wide levels of genetic diversity. This paper presents two recommendations for the interpretation of the results obtained with these models. The integration of process-based simulation models and statistical species distribution models will facilitate the inclusion of dispersal processes and founder effects in future assessments of the resilience of plant genetic resources under climate change.

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