Current agricultural production depends on very limited species grown as monocultures that are highly vulnerable to climate change, presenting a threat to the sustainability of agri-food systems. However, many hundreds of neglected crop species have the potential to cater to the challenges of climate change by means of resilience to adverse climate conditions. Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.), one of the underutilised minor millets grown as a rainfed subsistence crop, was selected in this study as an exemplary climate-resilient crop. Using a previously calibrated version of the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM), the sensitivity of the crop to changes in temperature and precipitation was studied using the protocol of the Coordinated Climate Crop Modelling Project (C3MP). The future (2040-2069) production was simulated using bias-corrected climate data from 20 general circulation models of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) under RCP4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. According to the C3MP analysis, we found a 1°C increment of temperature decreased the yield by 5-10% at zero rainfall change. However, Proso millet yields increased by 5% within a restricted climate change space of up to 2°C of warming with increased rainfall. Simulated future climate yields were lower than the simulated yields under the baseline climate of the 1980-2009 period (mean 1707 kg ha-1) under both RCP4.5 (-7.3%) and RCP8.5 (-16.6%) though these changes were not significantly (p > 0.05) different from the baseline yields. Proso millet is currently cultivated in limited areas of Sri Lanka, but our yield mapping shows the potential for expansion of the crop to new areas under both current and future climates. The results of the study, indicating minor impacts from projected climate change, reveal that Proso millet is an excellent candidate for low-input farming systems under changing climate. More generally, through this study, a framework that can be used to assess the climate sensitivity of underutilized crops was also developed.
An evidence base was developed to facilitate adoption of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) in tropical environments (Wimalasiri et al. (2021)). Agro-ecological requirements data of hemp were acquired from international databases and was contrasted against local climate and soil conditions using an augmented species ecological niche modeling. The outputs were then used to map the suitability for all locations for 12 possible calendar-year seasons within peninsular Malaysia. The most probable seasonal map was then used to generate a land suitability map for agricultural areas across 5 standard land suitability categories. Having developed the general suitability maps of hemp in Malaysia, detailed crop growth data were collected from literature and was then used to simulate an ideotype crop model (for both seed and fiber) for selected locations across Malaysia, where detailed daily climate data and soil information were available. Following the development of a downscaled future climate dataset, a simulated dataset of yield for the future conditions were also developed. Next, the simulated seed and fiber yield data were used to create yield maps for hemp across peninsular Malaysia. An economic value and cost-benefit analyses were also carried out using data that were collected from literature and local sources to simulate the true cost and benefit of growing hemp both for now and future conditions. This data provides the first ever evidence base for an underutilized crop in Southeast Asia. All data that was generated using the proposed published framework for the adoption of hemp in the future are stored in their original format in an online repository and is described in this article. The data can be used to map the suitability at finer scales, analyze and re-calibrate a yield model using any climate scenario and evaluate the economics of production using the standard methodology described in the above-mentioned publication.
MAIN CONCLUSION: Crops For the Future (CFF), as an entity, has established a broad range of research activities to promote the improvement and adoption of currently underutilised crops. This paper summarises selected research activities at Crops For the Future (CFF) in pursuit of its mission 'to develop solutions for diversifying future agriculture using underutilised crops'. CFF is a research company focussed on the improvement of underutilised crops, so that they might be grown and consumed more widely with benefits to human food and nutritional security; its founding guarantors were the Government of Malaysia and the University of Nottingham. From its base in Malaysia, it engages in research around the world with a focus on species and system diversification. CFF has adopted a food system approach that adds value by delivering prototype food, feed and knowledge products. Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) was adopted as an exemplar crop around which to develop CFF's food system approach with emphasis on the short-day photoperiod requirement for pod-filling and the hard-to-cook trait. Selective breeding has allowed the development of lines that are less susceptible to photoperiod but also provided a range of tools and approaches that are now being exploited in other crops such as winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus), amaranth (Amaranthus spp.), moringa (Moringa oleifera) and proso (Panicum miliaceum) and foxtail (Setaria italica) millets. CFF has developed and tested new food products and demonstrated that several crops can be used as feed for black soldier fly which can, in turn, be used to feed fish thereby reducing the need for fishmeal. Information about underutilised crops is widely dispersed; so, a major effort has been made to develop a knowledge base that can be interrogated and used to answer practical questions about potential exploitation of plant and nutritional characteristics. Future research will build on the success with Bambara groundnut and include topics such as urban agriculture, rural development and diversification, and the development of novel foods.
MAIN CONCLUSION: Bambara groundnut has the potential to be used to contribute more the climate change ready agriculture. The requirement for nitrogen fixing, stress tolerant legumes is clear, particularly in low input agriculture. However, ensuring that existing negative traits are tackled and demand is stimulated through the development of markets and products still represents a challenge to making greater use of this legume. World agriculture is currently based on very limited numbers of crops, representing a significant risk to food supplies, particularly in the face of climate change which is expected to increase the frequency of extreme events. Minor and underutilised crops can help to develop a more resilient and nutritionally dense future agriculture. Bambara groundnut [Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.[, as a drought resistant, nitrogen-fixing, legume has a role to play. However, as with most underutilised crops, there are significant gaps in knowledge and also negative traits such as 'hard-to-cook' and 'photoperiod sensitivity to pod filling' associated with the crop which future breeding programmes and processing methods need to tackle, to allow it to make a significant contribution to the well-being of future generations. The current review assesses these factors and also considers what are the next steps towards realising the potential of this crop.