Beyond Conventional Crops: Exploring the Potential of the Alternative Crops Buckwheat and Sorghum to Cope with the Future Climate Change Conditions

Abstract

[EN]Environmental [CO2] has been rising exponentially over the last decades, and it is expected to rise from the current 400 ppm [CO2] to 700 ppm [CO2] by the end of the century. As a consequence, global temperatures are predicted to increase by 3 °C, causing drought episodes to increase not only in frequency, but also in intensity. Hence, future conventional crops will face drought episodes in a high temperature and high [CO2] environment. Currently, the conventional crops wheat (Triticum aestivum) and maize (Zea mays) have great relevance, since they represent more than half of daily calorie intake derived from all cereal sources. Nevertheless, this global reliance on a limited number of conventional crops has put food security at risk, given that future climate change is projected to decrease their growth and yield. Considering that the human population is anticipated to reach 10.4 billion inhabitants by the end of the century, it is essential to identify alternative crops capable of withstanding future abiotic stresses to safeguard future food supply.

[EU]Ingurumeneko [CO2] etengabe hazi da azken hamarkadetan, eta mende amaierarako espero da heltzea egungo 400 ppm [CO2]-tik 700 ppm [CO2]-ra. Horren ondorioz, aurreikusten da munduko tenperaturak 3 °C igotzeaz gain, gora egingo dutela lehorte-gertaeren kopuruak eta larritasunak. Beraz, etorkizunean labore konbentzionalek lehorteak jasango dituzte tenperatura altua eta [CO2] altua dituen ingurune batean. Gaur egun, garrantzi handia dute garia (Triticum aestivum) eta artoa (Zea mays) labore konbentzionalek, izan ere, eguneko zereal-iturrietatik jaten diren kalorien erdia baino gehiago dira. Dena dela, elikadura-segurtasuna arriskuan jarri du labore konbentzionalen kopuru txiki batekiko dugun elikadura-mendekotasun horrek, aurreikusten baita etorkizuneko klima-aldaketak horien hazkundea eta errendimendua txikituko dituela. Aintzakotzat hartuta giza populazioa 10.400 milioi biztanlera iritsiko dela mende bukaerarako, elikadura-hornidura ziurtatzeko ezinbestekoa da aurkitzea etorkizuneko estres abiotikoei aurre egiteko gai diren labore alternatiboak.