Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
modelling tools. In order to disentangle these complex networks, it will probably be
necessary to specify and subgroup the NuDIS-associated Genes (NAGs) and SAGs
into functional categories, or response modules. One such effort has successfully
been made in identifying the OAS-module as part of the sulfate starvation response
(Hubberten et al.
2012a
).
Conclusions and Expectations for Plant Mineral Nutrient
Systems Research
The challenge facing twenty-first century agriculture is multifaceted. Growth
of the world
s population will necessitate producing significantly more food,
while food production is increasingly in competition with non-food plant
commodities for the world
'
s finite arable land. Furthermore, food production
is becoming increasingly vulnerable in the face of a rapidly changing climate.
In addition to the climate-associated factors water, heat, and light, mineral
nutrient availability is a critical determinant of agricultural yield. In fact,
increased use of fertilisers in the twentieth century is one of the major factors
contributing to the “green revolution”. However, awareness is growing that
short-term solutions in the quest for higher yield, such as copious application
of fertiliser, need to be replaced with environmentally sustainable agricultural
production. Modern cultivars were selected for their elite performance under
“luxury” nutrient regimes. Therefore, development of new varieties that more
efficiently convert soil nutrients into harvestable yield will be absolutely
critical if global agriculture is to be able to feed the world sustainably.
One approach contributing to these goals is to understand the molecular
bases of plant response programs to various nutrient conditions, especially to
nutrient levels lower than typically used in intensive agriculture. Time
resolved systems biology analyses on single and multiple nutrient stresses
and nutrient replenishment will yield information about processes and can-
didate genes or alleles. Obviously, such analysis is currently still largely
based on research employing model organisms, as much at the screening
level as at the proof of concept level. To transfer this knowledge, field studies
will be necessary to prove the validity of the concepts, particularly as
different crop species follow different strategies (
i.e.
have different ecolog-
ical niches). Systems biology-level tools will be needed for field experiments
and breeding populations to ensure development of elite cultivars. This
necessitates novel approaches at the analytical but also at the bioinformatics
and modelling levels. Finally, systems level analysis needs to be extended
beyond the individual plant into the ecophysiological level, as crop plants
exist in a complex interaction web with geochemistry, climate, and the
surrounding biome.
Additionally, renewable resources must provide the commodities for a
bio-based chemistry. To this end, biodiversity can be exploited by crossing
'
(continued)
