Root Growth Adaptation to Climate Change in Crops

Climate change is threatening crop productivity worldwide and new solutions to adapt crops to these environmental changes are urgently needed. Elevated temperatures driven by climate change affect developmental and physiological plant processes that, ultimately, impact on crop yield and quality. Pla...

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Main Authors: J. Calleja-Cabrera, M. Boter, L. Oñate-Sánchez, M. Pernas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2020-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Plant Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2020.00544/full
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author J. Calleja-Cabrera
M. Boter
L. Oñate-Sánchez
M. Pernas
author_facet J. Calleja-Cabrera
M. Boter
L. Oñate-Sánchez
M. Pernas
author_sort J. Calleja-Cabrera
collection DOAJ
description Climate change is threatening crop productivity worldwide and new solutions to adapt crops to these environmental changes are urgently needed. Elevated temperatures driven by climate change affect developmental and physiological plant processes that, ultimately, impact on crop yield and quality. Plant roots are responsible for water and nutrients uptake, but changes in soil temperatures alters this process limiting crop growth. With the predicted variable climatic forecast, the development of an efficient root system better adapted to changing soil and environmental conditions is crucial for enhancing crop productivity. Root traits associated with improved adaptation to rising temperatures are increasingly being analyzed to obtain more suitable crop varieties. In this review, we will summarize the current knowledge about the effect of increasing temperatures on root growth and their impact on crop yield. First, we will describe the main alterations in root architecture that different crops undergo in response to warmer soils. Then, we will outline the main coordinated physiological and metabolic changes taking place in roots and aerial parts that modulate the global response of the plant to increased temperatures. We will discuss on some of the main regulatory mechanisms controlling root adaptation to warmer soils, including the activation of heat and oxidative pathways to prevent damage of root cells and disruption of root growth; the interplay between hormonal regulatory pathways and the global changes on gene expression and protein homeostasis. We will also consider that in the field, increasing temperatures are usually associated with other abiotic and biotic stresses such as drought, salinity, nutrient deficiencies, and pathogen infections. We will present recent advances on how the root system is able to integrate and respond to complex and different stimuli in order to adapt to an increasingly changing environment. Finally, we will discuss the new prospects and challenges in this field as well as the more promising pathways for future research.
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spelling doaj.art-9b5ea7fc3d28411bbcbe96467b0d36d42022-12-21T19:57:38ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2020-05-011110.3389/fpls.2020.00544523645Root Growth Adaptation to Climate Change in CropsJ. Calleja-CabreraM. BoterL. Oñate-SánchezM. PernasClimate change is threatening crop productivity worldwide and new solutions to adapt crops to these environmental changes are urgently needed. Elevated temperatures driven by climate change affect developmental and physiological plant processes that, ultimately, impact on crop yield and quality. Plant roots are responsible for water and nutrients uptake, but changes in soil temperatures alters this process limiting crop growth. With the predicted variable climatic forecast, the development of an efficient root system better adapted to changing soil and environmental conditions is crucial for enhancing crop productivity. Root traits associated with improved adaptation to rising temperatures are increasingly being analyzed to obtain more suitable crop varieties. In this review, we will summarize the current knowledge about the effect of increasing temperatures on root growth and their impact on crop yield. First, we will describe the main alterations in root architecture that different crops undergo in response to warmer soils. Then, we will outline the main coordinated physiological and metabolic changes taking place in roots and aerial parts that modulate the global response of the plant to increased temperatures. We will discuss on some of the main regulatory mechanisms controlling root adaptation to warmer soils, including the activation of heat and oxidative pathways to prevent damage of root cells and disruption of root growth; the interplay between hormonal regulatory pathways and the global changes on gene expression and protein homeostasis. We will also consider that in the field, increasing temperatures are usually associated with other abiotic and biotic stresses such as drought, salinity, nutrient deficiencies, and pathogen infections. We will present recent advances on how the root system is able to integrate and respond to complex and different stimuli in order to adapt to an increasingly changing environment. Finally, we will discuss the new prospects and challenges in this field as well as the more promising pathways for future research.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2020.00544/fullclimate changeroot traitscrop yieldadaptationincreased temperature
spellingShingle J. Calleja-Cabrera
M. Boter
L. Oñate-Sánchez
M. Pernas
Root Growth Adaptation to Climate Change in Crops
Frontiers in Plant Science
climate change
root traits
crop yield
adaptation
increased temperature
title Root Growth Adaptation to Climate Change in Crops
title_full Root Growth Adaptation to Climate Change in Crops
title_fullStr Root Growth Adaptation to Climate Change in Crops
title_full_unstemmed Root Growth Adaptation to Climate Change in Crops
title_short Root Growth Adaptation to Climate Change in Crops
title_sort root growth adaptation to climate change in crops
topic climate change
root traits
crop yield
adaptation
increased temperature
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2020.00544/full
work_keys_str_mv AT jcallejacabrera rootgrowthadaptationtoclimatechangeincrops
AT mboter rootgrowthadaptationtoclimatechangeincrops
AT lonatesanchez rootgrowthadaptationtoclimatechangeincrops
AT mpernas rootgrowthadaptationtoclimatechangeincrops