Fluoride pollution is gradually becoming an environmental concern around the globe. Previous studies have shown the toxic effects of fluoride on rice (Oryza sativa) growth. Our study derived a roadmap for the cultivation of two indica rice varieties (Khitish, which is more resistant to long-term fluoride stress, and MTU1010, which is more susceptible to fluoride stress) in fluoride-marginalized lands. The different response to fluoride stress between the two varieties may be explained by differential reprogramming of protective metabolites and sulfur assimilation.

This article belongs to the Collection Functional Genomics for Developing Climate Resilient Crops.

We investigated the effects of various synthetic compounds on wheat (Triticum aestivum) cvs GW-11 and GW-496 under terminal heat stress. Compounds like salicylic acid (100 ppm) and putrescine (4 mM) significantly improved physiological traits, including canopy temperature depression and chlorophyll content. Notably, salicylic acid application led to a 19.5-% increase in grain yield, attributed to enhanced grains per spike and 1000-grain weight. The findings suggest that foliar application of these compounds can effectively mitigate heat stress and enhance wheat productivity.

Rice (Oryza sativa) is an important food crop globally. With a constant need to enhance rice traits in a changing climate, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated Protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) offers cutting-edge and precise genome-editing tool to modify rice genome to provide resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses. This review focuses on the application of CRISPR/Cas9 in rice breeding to create rice varieties that have enhanced tolerance to stresses, herbicide resistance, and higher productivity.

This article belongs to the Collection Functional Genomics for Developing Climate Resilient Crops.