Can We Secure Food and Nutrition Through Crop Innovation?

Abstract

Several studies in this issue focus on climate adaptation strategies. Verma et al. (2024) provide a comprehensive review of the challenges posed by climate change to agricultural sustainability, outlining key adaptation measures necessary for ensuring food security. Similarly, Lohani et al. (2024) discuss the impact of heat stress on pollen development and its implications for crop yields, emphasizing genetic and molecular strategies to enhance heat tolerance. Furthermore, Manna et al. (2024) explore how nutrient and water availability influence rice physiology, root architecture, and ionomic balance through auxin signalling.

The rewilding of cultivated crops is increasingly being recognized as a viable approach for enhancing stress tolerance and productivity. The review by Bhupenchandra et al. (2024) investigates the potential of weedy rice as a valuable genetic resource for improving cultivated rice, highlighting its genetic constitution, nutritional value, and resilience mechanisms. This approach underscores the significance of genetic diversity in breeding programs aimed at improving stress tolerance, nutritional quality, and adaptability in cultivated rice.

Beyond genetic rewilding, microbial communities are emerging as key players in agricultural resilience. Srivastava et al. (2024) review the molecular interactions between beneficial microbes and plants, emphasizing their roles in plant health, nutrient uptake, and ecosystem sustainability. This review highlights the importance of the regulated production, perception and processing of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the communication network that operates between plants and microbes. Harnessing plant-microbe symbioses presents a promising avenue for enhancing crop survival and fitness under extreme environmental conditions.

Agronomic interventions such as early sowing (ES) have shown significant potential in improving crop yields. Leconte et al. (2024) demonstrate that ES enhances sunflower seed and oil yield by 80% compared to normal sowing, primarily by extending the vegetative phase, allowing greater accumulation and remobilization of photo-assimilates into seeds. Similarly, Zeng et al. (2025) explore phenotypic plasticity in Brassica napus as a strategy for enhancing seed oil content under climate change. Their study, based on multi-environment trials over 4 years, integrates climate records and genomic data to develop predictive models for seed oil content estimation, identifying optimal haplotypes for sustainable production.

Recent advances in genomics have facilitated the identification of key genes governing stress tolerance, yield potential, and nutrient use efficiency (NUE). Jain et al. (2024) analyze temporal gene expression profiles in sorghum from pollination to seed maturity, identifying candidate genes for engineering grain development and nutritional traits. Meanwhile, Wei et al. (2024) investigate the genetic and environmental factors influencing phenotypic plasticity in flowering time and plant height across diverse sorghum lines under various natural conditions.

Similarly, next-generation genomic strategies are being employed to enhance stress resilience in legumes. Mohanty et al. (2024) identify key genomic regions and candidate genes associated with heat stress tolerance in chickpea, contributing to breeding efforts for improved crop resilience. Kumar et al. (2024) investigate the genetic regulation of flowering time and growth habit in pigeonpea through QTL mapping, identifying key genes governing these traits.

Advancements in biotechnology, particularly CRISPR-based genome editing and plant-microbe interactions, offer promising solutions for enhancing stress tolerance and NUE in crops. The application of functional genomics has provided key insights into how complex genetic networks contribute to stress resilience. However, newer technologies such as gene editing now enable a direct translational approach, with several countries adopting gene-edited lines on par with traditional breeding methods. The article by Lv et al. (2024) explores the use of CRISPR/Cas9 in tomatoes to enhance drought resistance and fruit yield by targeting the SlGT30 transcription factor, which influences cell ploidy and stomatal density, thereby affecting cell size and number in both leaves and fruits (Lv et al. 2024).

Enhancing NUE is critical for sustainable agriculture, particularly under conditions of limited nutrient availability. The study by Samant et al. (2024) highlight the role of phytoglobin overexpression in rice, which enhances NUE by modulating nitric oxide and nitrate transporters. With the rising global population, improving food production under nutrient-deficient conditions remains a top priority.

Further insights into stress resilience are provided by studies on wheat and strawberries. Govta et al. (2025) examine nitrogen deficiency tolerance in wheat, focusing on root system architecture and transcriptomic responses conferred by wild emmer wheat QTL. Meanwhile, Li et al. (2024) report on the FvPHR1 gene in woodland strawberries, which enhances fruit quality by improving phosphate uptake and sugar transport, leading to increased sugar content.

The integration of biotechnology, agronomic innovations, and precision breeding offers promising solutions for enhancing crop resilience in the face of climate change. Studies on key regulatory genes, such as OsCBSCBS4, OsLdh7, and OsPHP1, reveal their crucial roles in improving drought, salinity, and submergence tolerance in rice, thereby contributing to stress adaptation mechanisms (Tomar et al. 2024; Chatterjee et al. 2024; Yadav et al. 2024). Similarly, research on Zaxinone Synthase demonstrates its potential to enhance rice productivity by increasing the number of productive tillers and improving root growth, ultimately reducing phosphate fertilizer dependency (Ablazov et al. 2024).

The development of climate-resilient crops through functional genomics and gene editing marks a significant milestone in agricultural innovation. With gene-edited crops now being integrated into agricultural systems in several countries, this approach represents a transformative shift toward more efficient and sustainable food production systems. As climate change continues to challenge global food security, the collective efforts of researchers in exploring genetic, agronomic, and biotechnological solutions will be instrumental in ensuring a stable and nutritious food supply for future generations.