Challenge As climate change drives increasing temperatures, heat stress has become a critical barrier to improving crop yields, even in protected cropping systems. Most research efforts have focused on leaf traits, primarily due to the lack of tools for studying other plant parts. However, non-leaf organs such as flowers, fruits, spikes (in grains), and roots may also play vital roles in overall plant resilience to heat.
Solution This project aims to develop novel high-throughput tools to characterise heat tolerance traits in these overlooked plant parts. By enabling detailed and efficient analysis of flowers, green fruits, spikes, and roots, the research will help uncover new physiological mechanisms that contribute to crop survival and productivity under heat stress.
Impact The tools and knowledge generated will significantly broaden the scope of heat tolerance breeding and research, supporting the development of more resilient crop varieties. This will enhance productivity and climate adaptability in both open-field and protected cropping systems, helping agriculture meet future food security challenges under a warming climate.
