Analyzing phenotypic plasticity for climate-adapted practices
Adapting agricultural systems to climate change involves implementing changes in agronomic practices or cultivar selection to ensure successful crop cultivation in altered environmental conditions (Sloat et al., 2020). To achieve these changes, it is important to understand the gene × environment interaction and how it affects crop performance. Equally important is translating this mechanistic understanding into practical solutions for agronomic practices or cultivar selection (Bailey-Serres et al., 2019). This study focuses on analyzing phenotypic plasticity to identify environmental indices, genes and their modes of action. We then used this information to predict ideal planting dates for various environmental conditions and determine the optimal haplotypes for future climates. In the case of B. napus , a key trait is SOC. We identified three environmental indices (DTR183–192, PR166–195 and UVB144–186) and five responsive genes (MYB106 ,HAD , MIPS3 , DGD1 and PSD1 ) that influence SOC. Using this information, we predicted the SOC for various planting dates and validated these predictions in two new environments. By considering the plasticity of allele combinations from the five identified genes, we determined an optimal haplotype for each production site, which demonstrates the ability to adapt to future climate projections. The identification of production-limiting factors and the development of strategies for agricultural adaptation to climate change are essential for mitigating concerns regarding food security (Mourtzinis et al., 2019).