Title of the lecture: "Envirogenetic tools for nutritious plants"

Plant Envirogenetics is the science of the interaction between the genetics and environment in relation to plant phenotype. At Maastricht University (UM), we are especially interested to study the interactive and additive effects of the plant genetic composition, the growing environment, and the postharvest handling in relation to nutritional quality of vegetables.

During the lecture I will present three paradigm shifts related to genetics; plant cultivation; and human health. These paradigm shifts have greatly enriched the toolbox of Plant Envirogenetics and are especially appropriate for quality traits, such as nutritional composition, in vegetables. The paradigm shift related to genetics is illustrated by the example of dwarf wheat and rice varieties first introduced during the green revolution. Through forward genetics the genes related to dwarfism were discovered opening the opportunity to change plant height by reverse genetic means such as gene mining or gene editing. Since many plant genes are now known, reverse genetic approaches give us the opportunity to design the phenotype rather than select it, adding valuable tools to the study of Plant Envirogenetics. The second paradigm shift relates to plant cultivation. While plant breeders are used to breed for (a)-biotic stress tolerance to adapt the plant to the environment, current developments in high tech growing systems, such as indoor or vertical farms allow us to adapt the environment to the plant. This gives the breeder the opportunity to concentrate more on consumer traits such as nutritional value, while the nutritional value can be further improved by optimizing the growing environment. The last paradigm shift relates to human health. Rather than full focus on treatment there is a continuing shift towards prevention. Diets high in vegetable consumption have a positive effect on saving direct (health care) and indirect (loss of productive years) costs as well as on the individual’s well-being. Vegetables that are appealing and high in nutritional value will help to ease the societal cost related to non-communicable diseases.

I conclude with relating Plant Envirogenetics to the two other scientific Chairs at the newly formed UM Brightlands Institute of Future Farming in Venlo: 1) The academic Chair on high tech plant production systems; and 2) the Academic Chair on plant functional genomics. Together with the other academic groups related to Health and Food Innovation, already established at the Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo, we create a focused research and teaching environment related to healthy eating in the heart of one of Europe’s leading vegetable genetics, production, and logistics hubs. 

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