Abiotic stress mitigation in Ontario horticultural crops: Induction of systemic resilience

Lead Applicant: Praveen Saxena

Research Priority: Sustainable Production Systems

Program Type: Tier 1

Funding Cycle: 2024/2025

Research Centre: Ontario Crops Research Centre - Elora, Simcoe

Research Summary: Crop sensitivity to erratic cold temperature fluctuations, which results in poor plant health, low yield and increased vulnerability to abiotic stress, as well as delays in spring field transplanting of greenhouse plants, poses a serious challenge to crop production. Our recent discovery that indoleamine neurotransmitters possess unique stress-alleviating attributes in plants has tremendous potential in developing climate-resilient agriculture. This discovery, combined with our effective micropropagation technology for large-scale production of several premium horticultural crops, will produce climate-resilient plants, enhancing sustainability and profitability for growers. The proposed research will optimize the induction of systemic resilience against abiotic stress of erratic temperatures in value-added crops important to Ontario agriculture, including nut, fruit and ornamental crops (hazelnut, strawberry, impatiens, and petunia). Indoleamines, tryptophan and its metabolites will be used to enhance abiotic stress tolerance and survival of micropropagated and seed based transplants in adverse climates in the greenhouse and field.