Climate-smart agriculture
Recent ARS research recently helped explain how tomato plants respond to various environmental stressors. They induce very particular molecular programs based on how sophisticated the problems they’re attempting to solve are. This innovative study was spearheaded by Professor Sara Izquierdo Zandalinas from Universitat Jaume I in Spain. It bears important portent for elucidating mechanism by which many abiotic stressors jeopardize tomato plant yield.
Tomato plants are damn near miracle workers. They are capable of withstanding up to six simultaneous stressors – drought, extreme heat, salinity and direct sunlight, to name a few. Multi-omics study provides mechanistic insight into the combined effects of these stressors on tomato plants. This multi-faceted study discovered that more than 190 genes respond to these stressors. Importantly, some genes only turn on under severe stress.
This study found two primary regulators that elicited the plant responses, which can be distinguished as positive or negative regulator roles. This discovery provides new insight into the ability of tomato plants to cope with stress. It would be a gamechanger for agricultural development, increasing productivity even as global yields are being challenged by the impacts of climate change and anthropogenic pressures. Unfavorable soil conditions, due to effects of herbicides and change in pH have emerged as major limiting factors. Contaminants such as microplastics only exacerbate these problems.
Together, these stressors significantly decrease tomato plant productivity on a global scale. Researchers have noted this trend in several other regions as well. Understanding the complex responses of tomato plants to these combined stressors is essential for developing strategies to mitigate their impact. We hope that the study’s findings will illuminate the path forward and inspire further research and greater collaboration between scientific disciplines.
His collaborative research has built impressive connections with other top-tier institutions. Other key research partners include the University of Missouri and the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology. These collaborations extend beyond tomatoes, encompassing other critical crops such as maize, soybean, and rice, led by distinguished researchers like Professor Ron Mittler and Professor Alisdair Fernie.