Climate change is intensifying drought, salinity and extreme weather, directly threatening crop yields. Breeding drought- and salt-tolerant crops is therefore a key scientific tool for adaptation and food security.
Why tolerant varieties matter
Crops have limited tolerance to stress; beyond those thresholds, physiology is disrupted and yields fall. Tolerant varieties sustain growth under harsher conditions and can extend cultivation onto previously marginal land, using land resources more efficiently.
Conventional breeding
Conventional breeding selects and crosses parent lines with desired traits over many generations. It is foundational, safe and widely accepted, but slow and imprecise for complex traits like salt tolerance.
Marker-assisted selection (MAS)
MAS uses DNA markers linked to genes for desired traits, letting breeders screen seedlings carrying tolerance genes early, without waiting for field expression.
- Shorter breeding cycles.
- Greater precision for hard-to-observe traits.
- More efficient stacking of good traits.
- Lower large-scale field-trial costs.
Gene editing and new tools
Gene editing enables precise adjustment of tolerance-related genes, offering faster, more accurate breeding, though it requires legal frameworks, biosafety assessment and public acceptance. Meanwhile, gene banks preserve diversity and supply rare tolerance genes and locally adapted varieties for long-term breeding.
From lab to field
No matter how strong its genetic potential, a new variety only matters when farmers accept and grow it well. Moving a variety from research to production requires careful testing and evaluation.
- Basic and production trials across ecological regions.
- Assessing tolerance, yield and commercial quality together.
- Multiplying and ensuring certified seed supply.
- Training on techniques suited to the new variety.
Close coordination among scientists, seed enterprises and farmers shortens the distance from lab to field, letting research quickly deliver practical value.
No variety tolerates every condition; breeding is a continuous journey combining indigenous knowledge, valuable genetic resources and modern technology.
ASTRI's research direction
With its mandate for research, application and transfer, ASTRI treats breeding and testing adaptive varieties as highly practical amid climate change, connecting breeding results with each ecological region's needs. Through research cooperation, trials and transfer, ASTRI aims to bring tolerant varieties to farmers and strengthen communities' adaptive capacity and sustainable livelihoods.