Cereal cultivation in arid regions

Microbes, algae and genetic engineering for more stable yields

Lorena Ramirez Gonzales is working to make maize and teff more drought-tolerant. In the interview, she explains how her work is helping to stabilize agriculture in arid regions and improve food security.

Lorena Ramirez Gonzales:Our "BOOSTER" project aims to improve the drought tolerance of maize and teff. Teff is a nutritious, gluten-free grain and the staple food in the Horn of Africa. It is used for example to make a traditional Ethiopian flatbread.

On the one hand, we are identifying genetic markers, i.e. specific sections of the plant genome associated with increased drought tolerance, which can then be targeted for breeding new varieties. We also aim to explore the potential for transferring beneficial traits that enable species-specific drought tolerance. For example, we are studying the drought tolerance of teff to see if these traits can be transferred to maize to make it more drought tolerant. On the other hand, we are investigating biostimulants, such as microorganisms and algae extracts, that promote plant growth and can be used to improve the drought tolerance of maize and teff.

With our research, we are tackling a global agricultural problem: drought. Our findings could pave the way for the development of drought-tolerant teff and maize varieties and thus contribute to security of supply. This is particularly important for society given the increasing impact of droughts on global agriculture. By 2030, drought-related losses in maize yields in the EU could amount to 2.4 billion euros per year.

Although we are still at an early stage, we anticipate that the results will have a significant impact on agriculture, especially in regions severely affected by climate change. For example, we expect that biostimulants isolated from drought-prone soils - soils in which microorganisms have already developed strategies to cope with water shortages - will increase the resilience of plants without compromising yield. This could benefit agriculture, which is struggling with drought. Our work could therefore help to secure the food supply and promote sustainable agriculture.

I am personally fascinated by the use of biotechnologies tools to understand the mechanism of natural biostimulants to improve drought tolerance of cereals and teff. In addition, the collaboration with partner institutions from Europe, Africa and the US makes the project even more exciting as each institution brings its unique expertise to the project.

Biostimulants are generally well regarded because they do not contribute to environmental contamination. However, large-scale application remains a challenge, as maintaining yields requires careful dosing and application can vary depending on the growth stage and plant species. In addition, there is an ongoing debate on how these solutions can be integrated into existing agricultural practices.

This project is funded by the European Union's "Horizon Europe" framework program for research and innovation, the European Commission and the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).

About the person

Lorena Ramirez Gonzales

is a postdoc in the "Crop Breeding and Genomics" group at the Institute of Plant Sciences at the University of Bern under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Zerihun Tadele. In the BOOSTER Project, she is part of the team that deals with genetic and biostimulatory aspects and is responsible for experimental design and data analysis.

Contact: lorena.ramirez@unibe.ch

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