As climate change is gaining momentum, the cultivation of staple foods is facing increasing challenges. The stability of the yield of potatoes, which is one of the most important food crops in the world, is particularly threatened.
In order for potatoes to survive and provide the necessary yields in the future, scientists are working on ways to make them more resistant to the stress caused by climate change.
Through the four-year EU project ADAPT, an international team led by the University of Vienna conducted detailed research on how potatoes react to various stressful conditions, including high temperatures, drought and excessive moisture due to flooding. This knowledge will enable future breeding practices aimed at adapting potatoes to more extreme climatic conditions.
Heat and drought can significantly reduce yields, while flash floods caused by heavy rainfall threaten to destroy entire crops in just a few days. In order to determine which types of potatoes better tolerate extreme conditions, scientists analyzed the reactions of potatoes to different stressful situations. Numerous samples were collected at key stages of plant growth and precise laboratory analyzes were performed. The results showed that certain varieties that usually give lower yields under normal conditions, actually have higher yield stability under stressful conditions.
Part of the experiments were also carried out under controlled conditions in laboratories, where the level of stress could be precisely regulated. The scientists observed the potato’s responses to stress at the cellular level, monitoring changes in genetic expression, the presence of hormones and other metabolic processes in real time. Thanks to these analyses, specific molecular patterns have been discovered that indicate greater resistance or sensitivity to stress. These patterns represent an important foundation for the development of plants that will be more resistant to extreme climatic conditions.
Ten leading academic institutions, four potato growers, as well as several specialized organizations and technology agencies participated in the project. The next phase is focused on the application of new knowledge in practice.
The plan is to use identified molecular markers for the selection of new potato varieties that are more resistant to drought, high temperatures and excessive moisture. Such species could play a key role in the stability of food security, even in conditions of unpredictable climate change.
Source: City of Vienna
Source: energetskiportal.rs
