Global challenges: What can plant science do to help?

Plant sciences must provide solutions for sustainable agriculture to feed the world's population. Plants transform light into sugar and are thus the foundation of all ecosystems as well as the food supply for humanity. In a global initiative, plant researchers together with representatives from civil society have now compiled the 100 most pressing questions for plant science. 100 questions for the future of plant science. An international panel of scientists have identified 100 of the most important questions facing plant science. Whether it is breeding plants, assessing the response of forests to climate change or seeking solutions to pest control: Plant research will play a crucial role in whether and how humanity can cope with climate change, slow the loss of biodiversity and sustainably feed a growing world population. An international jury with members from all continents has now selected the 100 most pressing questions for this branch of research. They were published today in the journal New Phytologist . The initiator is Claire Grierson from the University of Bristol. She launched a call in 2022 to members of academia and industry, interested lay people as well as stakeholders, which brought together over 600 questions. A panel of 20 plant researchers, including Arthur Gessler of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, condensed them down to 100. The top ten, the most pressing questions, include: How will climate change impact plant abundance, productivity, bioregions, and ecosystems?