CropPrime · Stabilizing CROP yield under unfavourable conditions by molecular PRIM(E)ing

Stabilizing CROP yield under unfavourable conditions by molecular PRIM(E)ing

Healthy food and environmental protection have become top priorities in modern agriculture that is to provide increasing amounts of food and feed under uncertain climate scenarios. Major threats to food security are the associated abiotic and biotic stresses that cause significant reductions in yield and marketable quality leading to considerable economic losses. „Plant biostimulants“ are novel agricultural inputs that can refine and improve crop productivity and protection against (a)biotic stresses upon foliar application or when added to the soil. These formulations offer a non-GMO alternative that is easy-to-use, economical, sustainable and applicable to a wide range of plant species. Plants that have experienced a mild stress episode react differently to subsequent harsher stress than naïve plants. Their response is faster and stronger and has a lesser negative impact on plant physiology and growth. This concept is often referred to as priming or acclimation. Plants can also be chemically primed upon exposure to natural and synthetic small molecules ultimately leading to improved stress performance. It is believed that the stress-protective properties of biostimulants are imparted by their priming effects. Epigenetic and chromatin-based mechanisms are likely at the core of the priming process that can be maintained from a few days to weeks. In this context, the main objective of the project is to advance our knowledge on crop priming in order to foster the development of innovative and environmentally friendly tools to protect plants from abiotic and biotic stresses. Our research will provide novel insights on the modes of action of seaweed-based biostimulants; study the possible synergistic effects between various bioactive molecules; and identify key stress memory genes and epigenetic mechanisms controlling tolerance to diverse stress stimuli. CropPrime will have a positive impact on food security by enhancing the productivity of agricultural systems in stressful conditions in this era of climate change. This is of critical importance, since global population constantly rises and this is coupled to increased challenges to agriculture caused by the consequences of climate changes and anthropogenic factors. Moreover, the effective use of improved biostimulants will lower irrigation requirements, thus also reducing the ecological footprint for food production.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union