PlastiRootS - Evaluation of complex Root traits towards PLASTIcity in barley under Salt stress for improving climate resilience and productivity

非生物胁迫对全球作物生产构成了重大威胁，而且由于气候变化，这一问题在未来可能会加剧。土壤盐碱化影响着6000多万公顷的灌溉土地，并且日益严重。到2050年，全球农作物产量必须翻一番，才能养活不断增长的人口，目前估计有90亿人口。尽管在作物改良方面取得了重大进展，但大多数努力都是针对植物的地上性状。根对植物适应性和生产力至关重要，但由于技术困难，对其的研究明显较少。大麦是全球第四大谷类作物。迄今为止，大多数研究都集中在提高大麦的麦芽品质上。然而，要实现气候智慧型农业，还需要培育对非生物胁迫适应性更强的新品种。PlastiRootS专注于通过先进的非破坏性根系表型技术与脂肪酸图谱相结合，破译大麦种质资源在盐分胁迫下根系可塑性的自然变化。此外，PlastiRootS旨在通过全基因组关联研究确定盐胁迫下根可塑性调节的关键基因。此外，用于大麦候选基因功能验证的多重CRISPR基因编辑系统将用于揭示根系性状对盐胁迫的适应性反应。PlastiRootS为解决根系生物学的新问题提供了前所未有的机会，并将为未来大麦抗盐胁迫的优良根系性状的育种工作奠定基础。该项目将有助于实现联合国可持续发展目标和包容性绿色经济战略，以更少的资源生产更多的粮食，实现粮食安全，促进可持续农业，通过农业创造经济机会，并应对气候变化及其影响。

Abiotic stresses constitute a significant threat to global crop production, and this problem is likely to be exacerbated in the future due to climate change. Soil salinity affects more than 60 million hectares of irrigated land, and continuously increasing day by day.Worldwide crop production must be doubled by 2050 to feed the increasing population, estimated to be 9 billion. Although significant progress has been made in crop improvement, most efforts have targeted above-ground traits in plants. Roots are essential for plant adaptation and productivity but are significantly less studied due to technical difficulties. Barley is the fourth most important cereal crop worldwide. To date, most of the research focused on improving the malt quality of barley. However, it is also necessary to assemble new cultivars with increased adaptation to abiotic stresses to ascertain Climate-Smart Agriculture. PlastiRootS focuses on deciphering the natural variation of root plasticity under salinity stress in barley germplasm via advanced non-destructive root phenotyping techniques networked with fatty acid profiling. Additionally, PlastiRootS aims to identify key genes responsible forthe modulation of root plasticity under salinity stress by a genome-wide association study. Further, the multiplexed CRISPR gene editing system for functional validation of candidate genes in barley will be utilised to reveal the adaptive response of root traits to salt stress. The PlastiRootS offers an unprecedented opportunity for addressing novel aspects in root biology and will provide a foundation for future breeding efforts toward superior root traits against salinity stress tolerance in barley. This project will contribute to the UNSDGs and inclusive green economy strategies to produce more food with fewer resources, achieve food security, promote sustainable agriculture, and economic opportunity through agriculture and combat climate change and its impact.