Plant agrodiversity to the rescue

Plant agrodiversity has underpinned human subsistence for millennia and will continue to play a critical role in securing global food supplies in the face of climate change. Of the nearly 400,000 species of vascular plants found on Earth, only a handful are widely cultivated and just nine supply over 75% of plant-derived calories in human diets. The productivity of these major crops is highly dependent on climate, so future alterations to temperature and precipitation patterns are predicted to have a strong impact on food systems. Sweet potato provides vital nutrients to millions, particularly in developing countries. This review paper shows that production of sweet potato is at risk from extreme heat events, but a few tolerant cultivars can still thrive and potentially provide climate resilience.