Mitigation technology solutions for crops sector - Agriculture - Crop Cultivation
Adverse weather events and crop losses. Crops grown under field conditions are subject to adverse weather events throughout their life cycle (cold, drought, flooding, and heat). In response to these events, plants generate and accumulate chemically reactive oxygen species (ROS) in their cellular compartments. Generation of ROS during normal crop growth is a physiological requirement. However, during adverse weather conditions, ROS is produced by plants at dangerously high levels. This is referred to as ‘oxidative stress’ and causes profound and irreversible damage to plant tissues and organs.
All critical developmental stages of a crop can be affected by oxidative stress and damage. At vegetative growth, oxidative stress leads to stunting of plants and limited root growth, resulting in delayed establishment and development. This results in a lower crop yield at harvest. Notably, reproductive growth stages of crops are highly sensitive to oxidative stress damage, culminating in reduced fruit-set and significantly reduced crop productivity. It is critically important to protect crops against oxidative stress throughout their entire life cycle from early plant growth stages until harvest. Growers require crops to maintain vigour and output under stress conditions, similar to that occurring during stress free conditions.
Abiotic stress events such and cold, drought, flood, heat and salinity increase the risk of oxidative damage in crops, resulting in extensive yield losses for the grower.