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Global temperatures are reaching unprecedented levels and action is needed to combat the effects of climate change. In this Insight, we explore how advances in plant biotechnology can be pivotal in reducing the impact of climate change and can help with meeting United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 13:
"Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts"
The role of plant biotechnology in reducing the impact of climate change
The Paris Agreement is an international climate change treaty that aims to minimise the rise in global average temperature. Its long-term objective is to keep the rise well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with a preferred limit of 1.5°C. However, as temperatures rise, the effects of climate change may have a significant impact on agriculture. Extreme weather events including rising temperatures, floods and droughts have the potential to instigate food crises. In accordance with UN SDG#13, and in particular target 13.1, there is a need to "strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries".
Plant biotechnology is playing a key role in ensuring crop species can be adapted for rising temperatures and other environmental factors attributed to climate change.
Engineering drought resistance
Prolonged periods of drought can lead to reductions in plant yield. However, plant responses to drought stress are complex, using many different signalling pathways governed by multiple genes. The relative importance of these different pathways may also be plant species specific. Genome editing approaches, such as CRISPR/Cas technology, are enabling scientists to introduce drought-tolerant/resistant traits in commercially important crop species.
Ethylene is a plant hormone that plays an important role in plant responses to stress under drought conditions. Silencing of ethylene synthesis in maize plants has been shown to improve grain yield under drought conditions. Scientists have engineered maize plants, via CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, to increase the endogenous expression of the gene ARGOS8 (a negative regulator of ethylene). Field testing showed that the overexpression of ARGOS8 increased grain yield under drought stress conditions. This demonstrates the importance of plant biotechnology in generating crops that have the potential to be resistant/tolerant to drought.
Engineering flood resistance
Rice is a staple food for more than half the world's population. However, it is grown in areas of the world where severe flooding is expected to increase because of climate change. Although rice grows in standing water, most varieties die if they are completely submerged for more than three days. It is therefore important to develop rice varieties that are resistant to submergence. A cultivar of rice FR13A (Flood Resistance 13A) was known to survive complete submergence for more than 14 days. However, it has low grain yield. The gene responsible for submergence tolerance (Sub1A-1) in FR13A was identified by a combination of: (1) crossing submergent-tolerant and intolerant rice varieties and (2) genetic mapping using molecular markers to identify a particular quantitative trait locus (QTL) responsible for submergence tolerance. The sequencing of this region of the rice genome, identified the gene, Sub1A, as being responsible for conferring submergence tolerance. Using marker-assisted breeding, the Sub1A gene has now been introduced into popular rice varieties, such as Swarna. This has allowed the development of submergence-tolerant rice varieties, including Swarna-Sub1.
Utilising orphan crops
Orphan crop species, such as cultivated plants that are underutilised in comparison to major crops (e.g., maize, wheat, and rice), offer a potential untapped source of alternative plant material for consumption. Such domesticated crop species are often very important in regional agricultural practice and are adapted to be grown in tough environmental conditions. Examples of such species include millets (such as Sorghum bicolor), teff (Eragrostis tef), fonio (Digitaria iburua), amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus) and legumes such as cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and grass pea (Lathyrus sativus). These species are all adapted to grow in semi-arid climates with low rainfall. However, they are not widely commodified and there is a need for further research into these crop species for their broader utility.
For example, the grass pea is resilient to both drought and flooding, and is often used as an "insurance crop". However, it contains the toxin β-L-ODAP which contributes to the disease neurolathyrism in malnourished people. A global consortium of researchers, including at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, is trying to understand how β-L-ODAP is synthesised. The ultimate aim is to develop varieties of grass pea with low toxin content to generate varieties that are climate resilient but non-toxic.
Innovation to mitigate the effects of climate change
As the global temperature rises, mitigating the risks of extreme weather events in agriculture is essential. Plant biotechnology is at the forefront of providing solutions to ensure plants are adapted to the impacts of climate change. These innovations not only have significant environmental benefits but also present commercial opportunities for agribusinesses, researchers, and biotech investors, ensuring that the sector remains at the cutting edge of agriculture.
How J A Kemp can help
For businesses and researchers pioneering advancements in crop improvement, robust IP strategies are key to maximising innovation, investment, and impact. However, patenting plant biotechnology inventions presents challenges, as discussed in detail in our Technical Briefing on Patenting Plants in Europe and the UK. We have several experts working in this area and are uniquely placed to advise on overcoming these challenges.
Our plant biotechnology insight series
In a series of Insights, J A Kemp's Plant and Crop Science team are exploring how plant biotechnology can drive progress towards achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) – a global framework aimed at creating a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
J A Kemp LLP acts for clients in the USA, Europe and globally, advising on UK and European patent practice and representing them before the European Patent Office, UKIPO and Unified Patent Court. We have in-depth expertise in a wide range of technologies, including Biotech and Life Sciences, Pharmaceuticals, Software and IT, Chemistry, Electronics and Engineering and many others. See our website to find out more.
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