Using nature’s resilience for drought-proof crops
Resurrection plants such as Haberlea rhodopensis and Xerophyta viscosa possess the extraordinary ability to survive extreme dehydration of their vegetative tissues. In fact, they can lose up to 95 % of their water content and, upon rehydration, resume normal physiological functions. This makes them ideal subjects for studying how crops might be developed to survive droughts.
Advancing agriculture with genomics
The RESIST project, carried out with support from the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, employed advanced ‘-omics’ approaches – including genomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics – to dissect the molecular and genetic foundations of these plants’ resilience. “We wanted to drastically increase the available data on resurrection plants,” says Veselin Petrov, head of department funding at the Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology (CPSBB) in Bulgaria. “We sequenced the genomes of one species endemic to Bulgaria and three species endemic to South Africa, generating vast amounts of data for big data analysis, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and more.” By identifying the genes and pathways that help plants survive and adapt to drought conditions, researchers aimed to transfer these traits to commercial crops. “The field is still in its early stages, but by combining complementary approaches, we are opening the door to future applications in crop breeding,” Petrov explains. Coordinated by the CPSBB in Bulgaria, RESIST brought together renowned institutions, including the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Germany, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel and the University of Cape Town in South Africa. This international collaboration ensured a comprehensive exploration of plant resilience, while a total of 33 researchers participated in its secondments.
From the lab to the field
One of the project’s major achievements was the use of molecular priming, a process that treats crops with bioactive substances to enhance their stress tolerance. “We used an extract prepared from Atlantic Ocean algae to improve the performance of crops under drought conditions,” adds Petrov. “The results are very promising. In our trials with berry crops, we not only increased yield but also reduced sun blotch, a condition that affects the market quality of raspberries.” The knowledge gained from resurrection plants is set to be a game changer for agriculture as well. By integrating drought-tolerant traits into staple crops, farmers can cultivate varieties that maintain yields under water-scarce conditions. Moreover, enhancing crop resilience contributes to sustainable farming practices. Drought-tolerant crops require less irrigation, conserving water resources and reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture. This aligns with global efforts to promote sustainable food production systems. RESIST has already achieved significant milestones, including the sequencing and annotation of three genomes (Haberlea rhodopensis, Xerophyta elegans and Xerophyta humilis). Fourteen candidate genes linked to desiccation and other extreme stress tolerance in H. rhodopensis were also identified, with functional analysis under way. Further studies on nine crops (barley, tomato, pepper, eggplant, potato, lettuce, raspberry, blueberry and onion) demonstrated enhanced stress resilience and improved yields using the molecular priming approach.
The future of farming
As climate change challenges agricultural productivity, RESIST could offer tangible solutions. In harnessing the natural resilience of resurrection plants, the project could help develop crops that can thrive under environmental stresses. This not only helps secure Europe’s food supplies, but also promotes sustainable agricultural practices, ensuring a resilient future for farming worldwide. RESIST has also inspired further research. “Thanks to the project’s success, we are involved in two new EU-funded projects, CropPrime and BOOSTER, that focus on enhancing plant resilience and optimising bio-stimulants for drought tolerance,” says Petrov. “We have taken the first steps, but this work is far from over.”
Keywords
RESIST, resurrection plants, plant resilience, drought tolerance, desiccation tolerance, genomics
