Discovery and molecular characterization of novel Loci/genes controlling salinity tolerance at seedling, vegetative and reproductive stages in two highly diverse barley collections.

• Applicant: Helmy Youssef, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Plant Breeding and Plant Pathology
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 534096923

High salt concentration in soil will inevitably cause severe root water shortage in plants. In the light of climate change, this is considered a major threat to agricultural production worldwide. Climate models predict a 25% increase in pressure on agricultural production due to salinity by 2050. This makes understanding and utilizing how plants tolerate high salt concentrations a major scientific challenge. Improving salinity tolerance is complex, since it is regulated as a quantitative trait that involves multiple genetic pathways simultaneously. The apparent effect of salinity stress on plant growth and production is by causing problems for plant roots to absorb water by reducing osmotic stress in root cells and ion toxicity (e.g., Na+). Currently, we have a lack of knowledge regarding the effect of salinity on the regulation of primary metabolism and the molecular basis on which genes contribute to salinity tolerance in crops. In the present research proposal I aim to discover and explain novel genetic and molecular pathways of the regulation of salt tolerance-related traits at seedling, vegetative and reproductive stages in two highly diverse barley collections. My hypothesis is that identifying new loci and genes that play an important role in barley adaptation to salinity stress will greatly support breeding programs coping with climate change and the sustainable production of barley and other crops such as wheat. To achieve my research goal, I will focus on characterizing the highly diverse worldwide barley collections HEB-25 and the Intermedium-spike barley collection in order to study traits related to plant yield under salinity stress. The next step will be to introduce the sequence of the beneficial alleles from wild relatives into elite barley using genome editing. This second approach would be to pass on any issues with the candidate gene being essential for floral development and a complete knockout being lethal. I will carry out this research work at the well-developed and established Chair of Plant Breeding, Halle University (MLU), which offers a unique starting site for a salinity stress research network, in collaboration with leading plant scientists from MLU’s Natural Faculty III and from the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants