Barley is one of the world's most important cereal crops. However, like other food crops, barley is also suffering from increasingly high temperatures. A research team from the University of Potsdam and the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) in Gatersleben is now showing how this important crop can be better equipped to withstand heat stress. In a study, the researchers present innovative approaches to further strengthen the plant's heat tolerance and thus ensure its productivity.

As the research group reports in the journal Nature Communications, barley can be prepared for heat stress by exposing the plant to ‘initially low levels of stress’. This process, known as priming, creates a ‘memory’ of the stress experienced, enabling plants to respond more efficiently to subsequent stress events, according to the report.

Heat stress memory controlled by two proteins

In the study, the researchers were able to show how two key proteins control the so-called heat stress memory in barley without impairing productivity. ‘Our research provides a promising basis for the development of more heat-resistant cereal varieties and could contribute significantly to the stability of agriculture in temperate climates,’ said Isabel Bäurle from the Institute of Biochemistry and Biology at the University of Potsdam.

However, the study also shows that the absence of the two proteins weakens heat-induced genetic responses, while a higher concentration puts the plants into a permanent ‘state of alert’ and thus has a positive effect on their stress response. ‘Knowledge of the function of the two proteins opens up practical approaches to improving heat tolerance without significant yield losses,’ adds lead author Loris Pratx.

Contribution to plant breeding

Building on previous findings from studies on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the work makes an important contribution to the development of climate-resilient crops and shows how basic research can enable concrete solutions for tomorrow's agriculture.

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