Researchers have bred a barley variety which is better able to tolerate waterlogging and flooding.
Researchers at The University of Nottingham, UK, and colleagues had previously identified the mechanism used by plants in stress conditions to sense low oxygen levels.
They have now used advanced breeding techniques to reduce yield loss in barley in water-logged conditions.
"We now know how to breed barley cultivars more tolerant to waterlogging and flooding," said Michael Holdsworth, Professor of Crop Science in the School of Biosciences.
"Barley cultivars with the capability to withstand waterlogging have excellent growth, superior yields, retain their green appearance due to chlorophyll retention and have a more efficient metabolism even in low oxygen conditions," said Holdsworth.
Plants starved of oxygen cannot survive flooding for long periods of time.
Persistent flooding and saturated arable land can wipe out crops and reduce harvests so the search for flood tolerant crops is a key target for global food security, researchers said.
Barley is comparatively more susceptible to waterlogging than other cereals. Average yields can be reduced by up to 50 per cent as a result of waterlogging.
Resistance to this stress is an important objective of breeding efforts in high-rainfall areas of the world.
"We now have the strategy developed for plant breeding to select for enhanced tolerance to waterlogging in barley and other crops," Holdsworth said.
The research has been published in Plant Biotechnology Journal.
