Advances in genomics for adapting crops to climate change

Climate change is a major threat to food security in a world of rising crop demand. Although increases in crop production have previously been achieved through the use of fertilisers and chemicals for better control of weeds and pests, these methods rely on finite resources and are often unsustainable. Recent advances in genomics are laying the foundations for sustainable intensification of agriculture and heightened resilience of crops to climate change. The number of available high-quality reference genomes has been constantly growing due to the widespread application of genome sequencing technology. Advances in population-level genotyping have further contributed to a more comprehensive understanding of genomic variation. These increasing volumes of genomic data facilitate the move towards plant pangenomics, providing deeper insights into the diversity available for crop improvement and breeding of new cultivars. Genomics-assisted breeding is benefiting from these advances, allowing rapid identification of genes implicated in climate related agronomic traits, for breeding of crops adapted to a changing climate.