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Climate change and plant breeding

Climate scientists say we will have a warmer and wilder climate. We will have warmer summers and longer growing seasons, in some places longer periods of drought and in other places periods of more rain. A longer growing season can lead to increased yields for some productions, provided that we have varieties that can take advantage of the long summer. On the other hand, perennial plants that are adapted to a cold but stable winter may have problems with a short and unstable dormancy period.

Warmer and wetter climates will likely lead to the introduction of new plant diseases, and we will need new resistant varieties.

It is likely that for some crops we can use varieties developed for other, warmer climates, while for some species that are adapted to our long day lengths, varieties adapted to this will be necessary.

In short, it is important to maintain Norwegian plant breeding and it is important to have preserved genetic diversity from which researchers and plant breeders can obtain genetic material.

Genetic variation in useful plants is the basis for plant breeding, and it is farmers' selection of particularly suitable plants over thousands of years that has given us the cultivated plants we grow today. In modern times, new and effective methods of plant breeding have been used, giving us varieties with completely different characteristics than those we grew 100 or 1000 years ago.

Breeding improvement in active agriculture

Throughout history, seeds, seedlings and seed potatoes have been brought to Norway, and over time new varieties and landraces have been developed that are unique and adapted to the growing conditions in Norway. By taking seeds from the best plants for further cultivation, farmers have ensured that landraces have been developed over a long period of time. Over time, modern breeding in Norway and abroad during the 20th century has given us varieties that suit our climate and our growing conditions. And so the mechanism is such that as new and better varieties are introduced, the use of the old ones ceases and they are thus in danger of disappearing.

Traditionally, plant breeding has been the most important user of plant genetic resources. Genes in a chard of breeding material have been used for crossing and selection to create better varieties for cultivation and production. And it remains the case that the most important reason for preserving genetic material is that it should be available for breeding in the future.

Need for modern plant breeding

In addition to our desire to constantly develop better plant varieties to increase the production of food for a growing population, it is also the case that significant breeding efforts are required to maintain production at current levels.

Serious plant diseases are developing more aggressive forms and will lead to reduced production if we do not keep up with better and more resistant plant varieties. Forecasted climate change will also pose major challenges for agriculture, and then access to diverse genetic material will literally be worth its weight in gold.

New plant varieties can provide healthy food

In recent years, there has also been a strong focus on the connections between nutrition and health. Studies have shown that there are large differences in the content of nutrients and health-promoting substances in different varieties, and a large selection of varieties and genotypes therefore has great potential, both to provide a better nutritional situation in poor countries, and to provide better health to people with an unhealthy diet in rich countries.

In Norway, plant breeding is concentrated in the privatized company Graminor AS. Graminor carries out breeding in the most important crops in Norway, including grass and clover for pre-production, grain, fruit and berries.

Sources

Norwegian Genetic Resource Center – https://www.nibio.no/tema/mat/plantegenetiske-ressurser/gångstørring-av-plantesorter-og-planteforedling

Norwegian Genetic Resources Center – https://www.nibio.no/tema/mat/plantegenetiske-ressurser/gångstørre-av-plantesorter-og-planteforedling/planteforedling