HYBRID EVENT: You can participate in person at Valencia, Spain or Virtually from your home or work.
HYBRID EVENT
September 08-10, 2025 | Valencia, Spain
GPMB 2023

Crop modeling for future climate change adaptation

Andres Cortes, Speaker at Botany Conference
Colombian Corporation for Agricultural Research (AGROSAVIA), Colombia
Title : Crop modeling for future climate change adaptation

Abstract:

Crop susceptible to drought and heat stress is increasing due to climate change. Consequently, new analytical strategies are urgently required to determine sources of adaptation, and pyramid them into new sustainable cultivars for food security. Here we offer an overview on how modeling analytical tools serve to predict crop adaptive responses to ongoing climate change. First, we will describe how climate data meets ecophysiology modeling in order to forecast in situ stresses. Second, we will encourage coupling these climate-based ecophysiological inferences with genomics, as proxy to model standing natural adaptation already contained within current crop landraces, and their wild relatives. Third, we will discuss genomic-enabled modeling alternatives to optimize the introgression of such adaptive genetic variation into elite customized cultivars. Finally, we will prospect alternative models that could boost de novo adaptive variation, such as in silico breeding models, speed breeding, and genome editing. Throughout this compilation of case studies and reflections, readers will be able to identify the need for more robust high-resolution ecological data, combined with explicit empirical summary statistics of the genomic diversity within crop genepools. Only then, ecophysiological-based models would meet genomic-enabled predictions of the adaptive potential in current crops, empowering sustainable food security in the face of climate change. 

What will audience learn from your presentation?

  • Predict crop adaptive responses to ongoing climate change
  • Determine sources of adaptation, and pyramid them into new sustainable cultivars
  • Empowering sustainable food security in the face of climate change

Biography:

Dr. Andres J. Cortes holds an Associate Research position as Geneticist at the Colombian Agricultural Research Corporation (AGROSAVIA), CI La Selva. Dr. Cortés graduated as Plant Geneticist (PhD) from Uppsala University (Sweden), and as Biologist (BSc Hons, MSc) from Universidad de los Andes (Colombia). His research experience dates back to the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CGIAR – CIAT), the University of Fribourg (Switzerland), the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL – SLF), and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). Dr. Cortés is interested in investigating the genetic adaptive potential in plants and trees of agro-ecological interest using genomic, evolutionary, and ecological tools.

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