Epigenetics for Crop Improvement in Times of Global Change

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Research on plant epigenetics aims to understand how endogenous, biotic, and abiotic factors regulate plant development and growth independent of changes in the genome sequence. Often, the epigenetic changes are heritable across generations and modulate plant growth and crop tolerance, particularly in response to environmental stimuli. To take advantage of epigenetic adaptation, recent research has focused on implementing targeted epigenetic diversity to engineer plants that harbour advantageous traits for optimal crop production. Epigenetics has the potential to provide a powerful toolbox for crop breeders; however, most mechanistic studies are based on information from model plant species due to the challenges that arise when working with crops. Here, we summarise the contribution of epigenetics to optimising crop adaptation in response to climate change and overview potential future applications as well as challenges. ABSTRACT: Epigenetics has emerged as an important research field for crop improvement under the on-going climatic changes. Heritable epigenetic changes can arise independently of DNA sequence alterations and have been associated with altered gene expression and transmitted phenotypic variation. By modulating plant development and physiological responses to environmental conditions, epigenetic diversity—naturally, genetically, chemically, or environmentally induced—can help optimise crop traits in an era challenged by global climate change. Beyond DNA sequence variation, the epigenetic modifications may contribute to breeding by providing useful markers and allowing the use of epigenome diversity to predict plant performance and increase final crop production. Given the difficulties in transferring the knowledge of the epigenetic mechanisms from model plants to crops, various strategies have emerged. Among those strategies are modelling frameworks dedicated to predicting epigenetically controlled-adaptive traits, the use of epigenetics for in vitro regeneration to accelerate crop breeding, and changes of specific epigenetic marks that modulate gene expression of traits of interest. The key challenge that agriculture faces in the 21st century is to increase crop production by speeding up the breeding of resilient crop species. Therefore, epigenetics provides fundamental molecular information with potential direct applications in crop enhancement, tolerance, and adaptation within the context of climate change.