Future Proofing Crops Needs Urgent Global Action

By Andi Anderson

As the climate continues to change, farmers and scientists face a growing challenge—ensuring that crops can withstand extreme heat, drought, and rising carbon dioxide levels.

According to University of Illinois crop sciences professor Stephen Long, future-proofing crops must become a top priority.

Long’s recent review in The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B outlines how climate threats like heatwaves, flooding, and water shortages are already reducing crop yields.

These impacts are expected to worsen by 2050 as atmospheric carbon dioxide rises from 427 parts per million today to a projected 600 ppm.

Despite the risks, Long offers hope. Scientists are working to identify and develop crop varieties with traits like heat, drought, and flood tolerance.

These advancements come from studying genes and breeding techniques that improve a plant’s ability to survive under stress.

For example, some rice plants can live through two weeks of flooding, while others show better heat resistance. Wheat and rice varieties with fewer stomata lose less water, improving water-use efficiency without reducing yield. In one case, gene modifications in tobacco increased water-use efficiency by 15% and reduced water loss by 30%.

Even rising CO2 levels, which can boost photosynthesis, may harm crops by changing enzyme activity. However, scientists found that altering rubisco-regulating proteins improves photosynthesis under high CO2 conditions.

Long highlighted maize as a success story. From 1980 to 2024, U.S. maize yields doubled—mainly due to private investments. Other crops like sorghum, which saw only a 12% gain, show what can happen without sufficient support.

“To future-proof our crops, we must invest now,” Long said. Without large-scale public and private efforts, the science may not reach the farmers who need it most.

Long’s work is backed by Gates Agricultural Innovations and the U.S. Department of Energy, advancing plant science for a more secure food future.

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