Seed Banks are Crucial to Climate Adaptation and Food Security

Plant disease outbreaks are a critical concern for food security worldwide. A recent study from 2023, titled “Climate change impacts on plant pathogens, food security and paths forward,” highlights that rising temperatures due to climate change are likely to heighten these risks.

This warming alters how pathogens evolve and interact with their plant hosts and paves the way for new pathogenic strains to emerge. As the geographical range of these pathogens shifts, we may see plant diseases spreading to new areas. Researchers are actively investigating how these changing climate conditions will affect plant disease pressures and, consequently, plant productivity

Another study, “Effects of Climate Change on Plant Pathogens and Host-Pathogen Interactions,” says that climate change can alter the dynamics of plant pathogens through changes in temperature, humidity, and precipitation patterns. This can enhance the virulence and spread of various plant diseases, posing a substantial threat to crop production, a pillar of global food security.

The “Future Seeds” gene bank stores the world’s most extensive collection of genetically distinct beans. It stocks around 38,000 different samples of legumes from 110 countries, 22,700 tropical “forages” or plants eaten by livestock, and nearly 6,000 cassavas from 26 countries. Cassava is a starchy root vegetable and is a staple food in many tropical regions.

Although thousands of legume species exist, only a few are used in mainstream agriculture to increase farming efficiency. This practice makes the few varieties of crops vulnerable to plant diseases and climate change, which could decimate the entire harvest.

A study from the Botanical Society of America, “Better genes for better (more adaptable) beans,” identified genetic sequence traits in some underutilised beans that could help them thrive in harsh environmental conditions, such as very poor soil with limited water availability.

This is because they are equipped with unique variations in plant growth genes lost from mainstream crops through years of breeding. Identifying these stress-tolerant legume species with valuable genes that could thrive in challenging conditions and climates prepares the world for future pressures on agriculture.

The “Future Seeds” gene bank is an international research and development organisation that aims to reduce hunger and poverty while protecting natural resources in developing countries. It stores the world’s largest collection of genetically distinct beans. It contains around 38,000 distinct samples of the legumes—plus 22,700 tropical “forages” or plants eaten by livestock and 6,000 cassavas. This starchy root vegetable is a staple food in many tropical regions.

“Future Seeds”, as the project is known, is based in in Palmira, Colombia, at the Americas Hub for the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). It is the largest storage of the planet’s crucial crops and plants like beans, cassava and tropical forages worldwide, with over 67,000 samples.

“Future Seeds” continues to expand its collection to other essential crops and their wild crop relatives, thus supporting the world’s food and nutrition security. The project aims to safeguard the world’s crop diversity to ensure a climate-resilient and food-secure future for future generations.

Seed banks, like the “Future Seeds” projects, serve as a crucial climate adaptation strategy for several reasons – they preserve genetic diversity by storing a wide variety of plant seeds, seed banks enable farmers to choose and grow crops that are better suited to the environment they are grown in, facilitate research and development, and in the event of natural or climate-induced disasters, seed banks offers seeds for replacing and recovery, helping communities bounce back from adverse situations.

Genomics, digital phenotyping, and information technologies performed at “Future Seeds” enable researchers to identify specific genes associated with desirable traits, allowing for more targeted and efficient crop improvement.

High-throughput assessment of plant traits can improve breeding programs and help researchers understand plant responses to changing environments. These activities can contribute to more precise and sustainable agricultural practices, helping to improve crop performance and resilience from climate change and other environmental impacts.

“Future Seeds” also provides plant genetic material for free to researchers in many countries, enabling them to breed new varieties that are resistant to rising temperatures and extreme weather conditions.

Watch the virtual tour of the Alliance Bioversity and CIAT‘s new gene bank: