Abiotic stress is the stress imposed on plants by the non-living environment. Abiotic stress is responsible for huge yield losses in crops around the world. In this course we will assess the impact that abiotic stresses (like drought, salinity, nutrient deficiency, temperature) have on agricultural production, and provide you with knowledge and tools for successfully breed for abiotic stress tolerance. The following questions will be addressed:
– what can agriculture do to minimize yield losses now and in a future where the climate changes, and input will be further restricted?
– what are the requirements for successful breeding for abiotic stress tolerance?
– how does a plant respond to abiotic stress, and which physiological and molecular mechanisms are important?
– which traits contribute to stress tolerance, how can these be measured and used for selection?
– how do modern genomics techniques contribute to abiotic stress tolerance breeding?
