Agrotechnology

Genetic Variation and Abiotic Stress Resistance in Crop Plants

Melino Shuai^* Department of Biotechnology, Ming Chuan University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
^*Correspondence: Melino Shuai, Department of Biotechnology, Ming Chuan University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Email:

Received: 04-Aug-2023, Manuscript No. AGT-23-23101; Editor assigned: 07-Aug-2023, Pre QC No. AGT-23-23101 (PQ); Reviewed: 21-Aug-2023, QC No. AGT-23-23101; Revised: 28-Aug-2023, Manuscript No. AGT-23-23101 (R); Published: 04-Sep-2023, DOI: 10.35248/2168-9881.23.12.338

Description

Abiotic stress is a term that refers to the adverse effects of nonliving factors such as drought, salinity, heat, cold, and flooding on plant growth and productivity. Abiotic stress is one of the major challenges for agriculture, especially in the face of climate change and increasing population. It is estimated that abiotic stress reduces the global crop yield by more than 50%. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop crop plants that can cope with abiotic stress and ensure food security.

One of the strategies to improve abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants is to exploit the genetic variation that exists within and among plant species. Genetic variation is the basis of evolution and adaptation, and it provides the raw material for natural and artificial selection. Genetic variation can be influenced by several factors, such as mutation, recombination, gene flow, genetic drift, and epigenetic modifications. Genetic variation can affect various traits related to abiotic stress tolerance, such as osmotic adjustment, antioxidant defense, ion homeostasis, membrane stability, photosynthesis efficiency, and hormonal regulation.

There are different approaches to utilize genetic variation for abiotic stress resistance in crop plants. One approach is to identify and select the natural variants or mutants that have higher tolerance to abiotic stress. This can be done by screening germplasm collections, landraces, wild relatives, or induced mutants for desirable traits. For example, researchers have identified salt-tolerant rice varieties from a collection of 1,438 accessions using phenotypic and molecular markers. Another approach is to produce novel variants by introducing genes from other sources that confer abiotic stress resistance. This can be done by conventional breeding methods such as hybridization and introgression, or by biotechnological methods such as genetic engineering and gene editing. For example, researchers have generated transgenic rice plants that overexpress a vacuolar Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter gene from Arabidopsis and showed enhanced salt tolerance.

However, there are some challenges and limitations in using genetic variation for abiotic stress resistance in crop plants. One challenge is to identify the genes and alleles that are responsible for abiotic stress tolerance. This requires a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms and pathways involved in abiotic stress responses. Moreover, abiotic stress tolerance is often a complex trait that is influenced by multiple genes and environmental factors. Therefore, it is difficult to dissect the genetic basis of abiotic stress tolerance and to predict the phenotypic outcomes of genetic manipulation. Another challenge is to transfer the genes and alleles that confer abiotic stress resistance into elite cultivars without affecting other agronomic traits. This requires efficient methods for gene transfer and selection, as well as careful evaluation of the potential risks and benefits of genetically modified crops.

In conclusion, genetic variation is a valuable resource for improving abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants. By identifying and manipulating the genes and alleles that affect abiotic stress tolerance, it is possible to produce crop plants that can survive and produce under severe environmental conditions. However, there are also some challenges and limitations in using genetic variation for abiotic stress resistance in crop plants. Therefore, further research and innovation are needed to overcome these challenges and to optimize the use of genetic variation for abiotic stress resistance in crop plants.