Use of adapted crops and varieties

The use of adapted crops and varieties (including both herbaceous and tree crops) is suggested by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) among the climate-smart practices for risk reduction, soil and water conservation, and efficient water management. The use of adapted crops and varieties (either annual or perennial) helps to reduce the negative impacts of climate change on agricultural systems and at the same time to ensure stable agricultural production. Introducing new crops or varieties, or bringing back heritage crops, leads to diversification of agricultural production, with positive effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services, in particular if cultivated in association with  "https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/help/share-your-info/general/conser…;(including: minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil organic cover and crop species diversification).It also strengthens the ability of the agro-ecosystem to respond to biotic and abiotic stresses, and reduces the risk of total crop failure. Moreover, introducing the cultivation of adapted crops and varieties can improve soil carbon storage by accelerating atmospheric carbon sequestration. For instance, a switch from annual to perennial energy crops can lead to changes in farmer income and provide various ecosystem services, as provisioning energy, regulating water quality, ensuring carbon sequestration, and increasing the presence of pollinators.In addition to the use of already existing genotypes, plant breeding can provide a portfolio of varieties of an extensive range of crops to adapt production systems to climate change. The development of new plant species and varieties commercially sustainable and resistant to different risks involve the preservation of multiple varieties, landraces, rare breeds and closely related wild relatives of domesticated species to maintain a genetic bank for use in the selection of novel traits that are resistant to various stresses.As reported by FAO, the plant breeding efforts usually involve multi-locational trials and aim to develop crop varieties that are resistant to climate stressors (adaptation) and also more efficient in their use of resources to reduce their environmental impact (mitigation). The most commonly researched climate-related traits are resistance to drought, salinity and flooding. Different regions in Europe need crops adapted to different stressors: in some regions crops resilient to drought and/or extreme temperatures are needed, while in other regions the main stressors may be pests and diseases. Species and varieties bred to resist to these conditions could be the most efficient adaptation strategy to cope with climate change. High-throughput genotyping and phenotyping platforms are used to make the processes for developing crop varieties, including pre-breeding, more efficient.