1139. The Role of Diverse Genetic Resources for Resilient Crop Development 

In the 1960s, American biologist Dr. Norman Borlaug helped usher in an era of agricultural innovation known as the Green Revolution by selectively breeding semi-dwarf wheat, for which he was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In Asia, the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has had similar success with rice. By the 1990s, yields of major crops had doubled, and a dire future with even more severe famines coming due to world population growth seemed no longer forthcoming.

However, in the 21st century, the need for crop development that is resilient to the negative impacts of climate change is greater than ever to maintain global food and nutrition security, as there are concerns that climate change will have a negative impact on crop growth and agricultural productivity.

It is said that plant engineering technologies enabling such crop development are rapidly advancing, but in order to build a resilient food system, there is an urgent need to conserve the diversity of crop genetic resources. Specifically, there is a greater need than ever for the conservation and use of diverse crop genetic resources necessary for climate-smart crop development, such as resistance to many abiotic and biological stresses such as temperature fluctuations, droughts, floods, poor environments, and pests, as well as traits that enable efficient use of water and fertilizers.

Next week, on November 22, 2024, the JIRCAS International Symposium 2024 will discuss the role of resilient genetic resources in the age of global boiling.

JIRCAS International Symposium 2024 : Resilient Genetic Resources for Food Security in the Era of Global Boiling –Opportunities and Challenges for Conservation and Utilization–
Date: 2024-11-22(Fri) 13:30～17:30 (13:00 Admission)(JST)
Place: U Thant International Conference Hall + Online  (United Nations University 3F, 5-53-70 Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8925)
Registration Site: https://www.jircas.go.jp/ja/symposium/2024/e20241122_jircas

References
Bailey-Serres, J., Parker, J.E., Ainsworth, E.A. et al. Genetic strategies for improving crop yields. Nature 575, 109–118 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1679-0

Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso, et al. Enhancing climate change resilience in agricultural crops, Current Biology, Volume 33, Issue 23, 2023, Pages R1246-R1261, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.10.028

Bill Gourgey Green Revolution redux　Have we entered the golden age of plant engineering? MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/10/23/1105291/green-revolution-pl…;

 
Contributed by: JIRCAS International Symposium 2024 Secretariat