Global temperatures are rising at a rate of ~0.15-0.20°C per decade. Recent strings of record-breaking heatwaves and an increase incidence of drought, have affected crop production across the planet. As world population rises and available arable land decreases, it is imperative to address the threats imposed by climate change on food security at the regional and global scales.
The decline in crop productivity and quality is primarily due to extreme temperatures and water deficit conditions in a number of areas of the globe. Heatwaves and droughts are becoming more common and impacting regions which had not previously experienced such warm temperatures.
Regions of Asia and Sub Saharan Africa, which are largely dependent on agricultural subsistence, are projected to be worst hit by heat and drought, leading to significant crop losses. The effects on crops are complex influencing multiple developmental processes and also by speeding the browning and spoilage of fruits and vegetables post-harvest. Solutions at the global scale require the work of multidisciplinary teams and be designed to fit the conditions of multiple countries.
The purpose of the network is to build cross-disciplinary activities around these issues, to facilitate knowledge exchange and to develop projects that mitigate the effects of heatwaves and droughts on food production, supply and consumption across countries and continents. This consortium will identify research priorities, assisted by invited researchers from Low and Middle-Income Countries, by relevant industries and international funding agencies.
In our team we have researchers with expertise in crop physiology, pathology, breeding, molecular biology, agronomy, atmospheric chemistry and pollution, crop-climate modelling and food safety. This places us in a unique position to work collaboratively to develop stress-resilient crops and sustainable systems for their production, delivery and safe consumption.
Who's involved
Professor Jocelyn Ozga, University of Alberta
Dr Viji Sarojini, The University of Auckland
Professor Amos Tai, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Professor Hin-Ming Lam, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Dr Marcelo Galdos, University of Leeds
Dr Laura Dixon, University of Leeds
Rakesh Tiwari, University of Leeds
Professor Leidivan Almeida Frazão, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Professor Hélder dos Anjos Augusto, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Professor Ângela Maria Quintão Lana, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Professor Hsiu-Ling Chen, National Cheng Kung University
Professor Julie Gray, The University of Sheffield
Professor William Quick, The University of Sheffield
Dr Christian Voigt, The University of Sheffield
Dr Lisa Smith, The University of Sheffield
Dr Mark Chapman, University of Southampton Professor Lisa Emberson, University of York Professor Christine Foyer, University of Birmingham Professor Om Parkash, University of Massachusetts Amherst Dr Rajeev Varshney, ICRISAT Professor Xinhua He, Southwest University
Dr Mick Considine, University of Western Australia
Professor Kadambot Siddique, University of Western Australia
Professor Wallace Cowling, University of Western Australia
Professor Graeme Martin, University of Western Australia
Professor Jinsong Bao, Zhejiang University
Professor Xiaowei Wang, Zhejiang University
Professor Zengrong Zhu, Zhejiang University