Improving the nutritional quality of indigenous vegetable crops under climate change

营养不良影响着地球上三分之一的人口，有20亿人缺乏一种或多种微量营养素。在未来几十年，气候变化将对农业、自然生态系统和全球经济构成重大挑战，以生产足够和有营养的粮食，这已经反映在农业系统的可持续集约化上。降雨模式已经开始发生变化。洪水、干旱、旋风和风暴潮的频率和强度将会增加，海平面上升和盐度也会增加。为缓解和适应气候变化所建议的一些战略包括建立更多样化的种植制度，包括耐干旱和耐热应力的作物，以更好地适应气候变化和新的病虫害压力。可持续地生产和消费具有生物多样性的本土营养园艺作物是低收入发展中国家解决这一问题的关键部分。在低收入国家，许多本土蔬菜品种主要由女性生产者种植并在当地市场上出售，作为减轻其贫困的收入来源。然而，这些作物中的许多都没有得到充分的研究，它们的全部潜力尚未实现。非洲茄子（Solanum aethiopicum）是一种本土蔬菜作物，主要在撒哈拉以南非洲、南亚和东南亚热带地区生产和消费。非洲茄子具有如此丰富的多样性，并且该物种有四个栽培类群，然而与普通茄子相比，它在研究中被忽视了。印度芥菜（芸苔属芥菜变种，rugosa），用作叶菜，原产于中亚和东亚。由于其对各种农业气候条件的适应性较强，已获得了受欢迎的蔬菜作物的地位。叶子可以生吃，比如放在沙拉里。Lablab purpureus（风信子豆）是一种古老的驯化和多用途作物，原产于非洲，在整个热带地区都有种植。如果煮得好，果实和豆类可以食用，叶子和根也可以食用。一些本土蔬菜可以忍受广泛的非生物变化。然而，一些物种比其他物种更敏感，农民还面临病虫害问题以及阻碍他们生产力的水资源短缺。气候变化对植物在分子功能、发育过程、形态特征和基本生理反应等方面的响应有不同的影响。植物也可能通过形态或生化机制做出类似的反应来避免一种或多种胁迫。环境的相互作用可能使植物的胁迫反应更加复杂或影响气候变化的影响程度。了解这些气候变化引起的压力对于营养蔬菜的可持续生产至关重要。该博士生将：-了解气候变化对本土蔬菜作物营养质量的影响-调查商业品种的遗传变异，以及绘制种群图。-确定提高本地蔬菜作物产量和营养质量的农艺操作和收获后处理方法。

Improving the nutritional quality of indigenous vegetable crops under climate change Malnutrition affects one in three people on the planet, with 2 billion people being deficient in one or more micronutrients. In the coming decades, climate change will present a major challenge to agriculture, natural ecosystems, and global economies, for producing enough and nutritious food, which has been reflected in sustainable intensification of agricultural systems. Rainfall patterns have already begun to vary. The frequency and intensity of floods, droughts, cyclones, and storm surges will increase and the prevalence of sea-level rise and salinity will also increase. Some of the strategies recommended for climate change mitigation and adaptation include the establishment of more diverse cropping systems with the inclusion of crops that are drought and heat stress-tolerant, to better adapt to climate variability and new pest and disease pressure. The sustainable production and consumption of biodiverse indigenous nutritious horticultural crops provide a key part of the solution to this problem in low income developing countries. Many indigenous vegetable species are grown and sold in local markets, mainly by female producers, as a source of income to alleviate their poverty in low-income countries. However, many of these crops are under-researched and their full potential has not been realised. Solanum aethiopicum (African eggplant) is an indigenous vegetable crop and majorly produced and consumed in tropical areas of sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia. African eggplant exhibits such large diversity and this species has four cultivar groups, however, it has been neglected in research in comparison to the common eggplant/aubergine, S. melongena. Indian mustard (Brassica juncea var. rugosa) used as leaf vegetables and is native to Central and Eastern Asia. It has acquired the status of popular vegetable crop due to its wider adaptability to various agro-climatic conditions. The leaves may be eaten raw, for example, in a salad. Lablab purpureus (hyacinth bean) is an old domesticated and multi-purpose crop native to Africa and it is cultivated throughout the tropics. The fruit and beans are edible if boiled well, the leaves and root can as well be consumed. Some indigenous vegetables can tolerate a wide spectrum of abiotic changes. However, some species are more sensitive than others and also farmers face pests and disease problems along with water shortages that hamper their productivity. Climate change has varying effects on plants responses at the level of molecular function, developmental processes, morphological traits, and basic physiological responses. Plants may respond similarly to avoid one or more stresses through morphological or biochemical mechanisms. Environmental interactions may make the stress response of plants more complex or influence the degree of impact of climate change. Understanding these climate change-induced stresses are critical for sustainable production of nutritious vegetables. The PhD student will: - Understand the effects of climate change on the nutritional quality of indigenous vegetable crops - Investigate genetic variability on commercial cultivars but as well on mapping populations. - Determine agronomic practices and post-harvest handling practices that improve the yield and nutritional quality of indigenous vegetable crops.