b'We will get better at managing ecosystems as a whole and innovating to generate increased plant health less from add-ons such as nutrients and more from the biology happening beneath the surface, Wheeler says.Philipp Simon, USDA-ARS research lead and professor at the University of Wisconsin understands that unhealthy plants have minimal value in agriculture.Plant health is the leading critical vari-able wherein success must be achieved, he says. Without plant health, little else matters if agriculture is to continue to play its critical role to meet the needs of future generations.Simon has been working for many years to improve fresh market carrots, targetingAnthony Leddin is a plant breeder fromDavid Bubeck serves as research director flavor, nutritional quality, disease and abi- Valley Seeds in Australia. for Corteva Agriscience and is active with otic stress resistance, specifically in regardthe NAPB. to soil salinity, as well as genetic mapping. As a plant breeder and geneticist, SimonAnthony Leddin, Australian plantment with a continuously full develop-says anticipating what ecosystem changesbreeder for Valley Seeds, says climatement pipeline and geographic testing will most effect growers in the future is keychange is not something that will affectaround the world annually.to improving plant health. While Simonsthe future of agriculture. It already has.Our global plant breeding team has to work has focused more on food supplyA lot of people say climate changedeliver products locally as climate change than habitat restoration, the breeding prin- takes time, but were seeing thosehas different degrees of impact around ciples are similar, as are the challenges. changes incredibly fast. In some regionsthe world, Bubeck says. Getting buy-in from the public andof Australia, were in our seventh year ofNow, more than ever before, both private sectors that there is a challengedrought. In the 10 years Ive worked atpublic and private breeders are coming to overcome is a challenge, Simon says.Valley Seeds, Ive seen some of our breadtogether.There is also a need for encouragement,and butter breeds fail to survive in thisThe public sector has largely filled including rewards, for even modest suc- environment, Leddin says.this space in the past, so they know how cess, using not only all the best high-techLeddin also works with an NGO thatit works, and the private sector com-approaches such as gene editing andworks in plant breeding, particularly inpanies are keen to get in there. We are elegant phenotyping, but also, and impor- developing nations, called Plant Breedersnow seeing the public sector doing the tantly, the not-very-flashy but well-provenWithout Borders. He has seen first- pre-breeding work such as with molecular methods of crop testing and production. hand the need for improved varieties totechnologies, and the private sector does Its a long process, which is why thosecombat climate change in the comingthe breeding after that, Leddin says. involved in restoring habitats after natu- years.While collaboration has increased, its ral disasters have an increased sense ofBy 2050, we are going to need tostill very difficult to divert funding away urgency.increase our food production by 70%, andfrom major crops.Getting improved traits into newthat has to happen on the back of climateLeddin suggests that climate change cultivars can take decades but can bechange, which could reduce current pro- may be the one factor that could lead sped up effectively with more aggressiveduction levels by 30%. That equates to amore seed companies to diversify research, he says. massive goal, Leddin says. research, but that will be driven by farm-Dave Bubeck, research director,ers, and ultimately, by consumers. Combating Climate Change Corteva Agriscience, says plant breed- Governments are reactive rather than Climate change may seem like a harders are central to the industrys ability toproactive. Once there are shortages on case to crack, but seed breeders aresupport farmers managing their farmssupermarket shelves and prices go up, working to unlock the solutions our worldthrough climate change. the consumer will send clear messages needs. We have to provide a product toto the governments that they want the The third goal outlined by the IPPCgrowers that will be resilient and willresearch in food production, Leddin says. for the Year of Plant Health is No. 13: Takeadapt along the way to anticipatedLeddins efforts in developing nations urgent action to combat climate changechanges, Bubeck says. is largely focused on minor crops, but he and its impacts.New products are always in develop- fully understands the importance of both.50/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2020'