Plants and the Environment

The overarching goal is to enhance crop resilience and secure sustainable food production under the growing pressures of climate change. We focus on both short-term responses and long-term adaptations across annual and perennial crops, including cereal and horticultural species, using interdisciplinary approaches that bridge plant physiology, breeding, molecular biology, and agroecology.

Key focus areas

• Genotype × Environment (G × E) Interactions A core research focus is on understanding G × E interactions, which determine how the same genotype performs differently across variable environments. By using advanced genotype-to-phenotype modelling, we identify traits that promote stability, yield, and stress tolerance under fluctuating and extreme conditions. This is vital for developing cultivars suited to Nordic and global agroecological zones.

• Traits and Mechanisms of Adaptation We investigate key traits such as disease resistance, drought and heat tolerance, flooding resilience, and frost tolerance during critical growth stages. This also includes responses to historical, ongoing and future selection scenarios. Our research applies omics, high-throughput phenotyping, and molecular tools to uncover the genetic, physiological, and epigenetic mechanisms underpinning these traits. This includes exploration of stress-induced plasticity and long-term memory in perennial and annual plants.

• Molecular Regulation and RNA Biology Central to this subject is RNA biology and the regulation of plant traits via transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and epigenetic control. We study regulatory RNAs, signaling proteins, and environmental cues that modulate gene expression. Special emphasis is placed on cross-kingdom RNA and protein communication between plants and microbes or pathogens, which plays a crucial role in development, immunity, and resilience.

• Innovative Tools and Green Technologies The subject area leads research on sustainable, non-GMO molecular technologies such as Spray-Induced Gene Silencing (SIGS). SIGS enables targeted and reversible trait control, allowing precise regulation of plant defense, productivity, and environmental responses. Together with nanoformulations and emerging delivery technologies, SIGS offers new avenues for environmentally safe crop protection and trait enhancement.

• Microbiome Interactions and Agrobiologicals Microbial communities are key environmental components that shape plant phenotype. We explore how beneficial microbes and microbiomes influence plant regulatory networks, support nutrient acquisition, and enhance stress resilience. This knowledge feeds into microbiome-assisted breeding and the development of agrobiological products like biostimulants, biocontrol agents, and RNA/protein-based treatments.

Teaching and Strategic Importance

This subject area trains future experts in sustainable agriculture and resilience, supporting SLU’s mission to advance the green transition and climate adaptation. Sub-topics include adaptation traits (biotic/abiotic stress) and their response to selection; genetic, physiological, and molecular mechanisms of resilience; G × E-based genotype-to-phenotype modelling; RNA biology and epigenetics; cross-kingdom molecular signaling; SIGS and RNA/protein-based biocontrol; plant–microbiome interactions; agrobiologicals; AI and nanotechnology for crop improvement.