Challenges of translating Arabidopsis insights into crops

The significance of research conducted on Arabidopsis thaliana cannot be overstated. This focus issue showcases how insights from Arabidopsis have opened new areas of biology and directly advanced our understanding of crops. Here, experts intimately involved in bridging between Arabidopsis and crops share their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for translation. First, we examine the translatability of genetic modules from Arabidopsis into maize, emphasizing the need to publish well-executed translational experiments, regardless of outcome. Second, we highlight the landmark success of HB4, the first GM wheat cultivar on the market, whose abiotic tolerance is borne from direct translation and based on strategies first outlined in Arabidopsis. Third, we discuss the decades-long journey to engineer oilseed crops capable of producing omega-3 fish oils, with Arabidopsis serving as a critical intermediary. Fourth, we explore how direct translation of starch synthesizing proteins characterized in Arabidopsis helped uncover novel mechanisms and functions in crops, with potential valuable applications. Finally, we illustrate how shared molecular factors between Arabidopsis and barley exhibit distinct molecular wiring as exemplified in cuticular and stomatal development. Together, these vignettes underscore the pivotal role of Arabidopsis as a foundational model plant while highlighting the challenges of translating discoveries into field-ready, commercial cultivars with enhanced knowledge-based traits.