Genomics and Breeding of Cereals for Root Architecture and Abiotic Stress Tolerance

The improvement of cereals for root architecture and soil related abiotic stress tolerance is an alternative to cope with increasing demand for food and, at the same time, movement of agricultural fields to marginal areas. The majority of breeding efforts in the last fifty years has been focused on grain yield and shoot related traits. However, root-related traits can provide novel sources of genetic variability and opportunities for improvement. Our group has been focusing on translational genomic tools to assess genomic elements associated with root development and stress response. The analysis of commonly regulated genes related to root development, hypoxia response, ERFs, HSPs and network signaling cascades of response to oxidative stress and scavengers of reactive oxygen species will provide the tools for the new genetic revolution, the underground revolution, i.e., helping to identify genotypes with superior responses to soil-related stresses as well as more aggressive root development.