As climate change intensifies extreme weather events, the agriculture sector is faced with the arduous task of finding ways to overcome these challenges.

This is where plant biotechnology comes in, as it is proving to be an indispensable tool for enhancing crop resilience to droughts and floods.

“The development of drought-tolerant crops begins with understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern a plant’s response to stress.” said Dr Hennie Groenewald, executive manager of Biosafety South Africa.

The potential for biotechnology to revolutionise crop resilience goes beyond drought tolerance. … Additionally, biotechnology can help manipulate plants’ growth cycles to better suit changing environmental conditions. For crops like maize and rice, researchers have focused on adjusting photoperiod sensitivity, allowing for shorter growing seasons.

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The biofortification of crops is another area where biotechnology is making a significant impact. These crops’ vitamin and mineral content is enhanced, thereby addressing nutritional deficiencies.

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