LEADING global genetic improvement consultancy AbacusBio has launched the world's first sustainability index for plants to help reduce the environmental impact of growing crops.

The index is designed to enable breeding companies to create commercially-viable plant varieties that require less water to grow and produce less environmentally-damaging emissions while optimising crop yield, plant health, and disease resistance.

It is underpinned by a robust methodology New Zealand-headquartered AbacusBio devised for accurately quantifying the sustainability performance of different plant varieties across pasture, row, horticulture, and tree crops.

In crops tested using the index, it was possible to create plant varieties that combine sustainability with high health and yield, and therefore breed plants that are highly productive but have a lower environmental impact.The project began at the start of this year and is being led by AbacusBio geneticist Kathryn Grant PhD, who is based in the company's Edinburgh office.

Kathryn said the methodology looked at how breeding for different genetic traits could reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG), eutrophying, and acidifying emissions, as well as reducing water and land use.

She said: "There are two things to consider when trying to increase the sustainability of crops; improving management practices and improving genetics.

"As AbacusBio is a genetics company, so genetics is our focus: we help plant breeding companies to find the 'rockstar' varieties, amongst the thousands of potential plants. These rockstar varieties may have rare but naturally occurring combinations of genes that enable lower inputs, produce less emissions, or have lower water requirements, yet retain the same yield and quality as other varieties grown under the same conditions.

"The selection index works by quantifying, in economic and environmental terms, the overall value of each variety and allows our customers to breed for profit, yield, disease resistance, and other key commercial qualities that their customers demand, alongside sustainability."

Kathryn added that the findings of the research revealed further good news for farmers struggling with the rising cost of fertiliser and other crop inputs.

She said: "It's no surprise that the main traits we select when breeding for sustainability are the same as those needed for profit.

"Take nitrogen for example. If we can select plants that use nitrogen more efficiently then the farmer has to apply less fertiliser to their crop to achieve the same yield.

"That is better for the farmer and for the environment. It is a win-win.

"There are parallels in horticulture. By selecting genes for heat or cold tolerance, growers can spend less on heating and cooling their greenhouses, which means less energy use. This is good for profit and good for the environment."

Kathryn said selecting more sustainable crops may also have significant ramifications for the way agriculture is supported in the future.

Governments around the world are currently considering changes to how agricultural is funded to encourage farmers to adopt more sustainable practices. If this leads to incentivising them to reduce land intensity, newly-created sustainable plant varieties could form a significant part of the solution.

"Generating the same amount of yield from less land will mean more land can be put over to environmental schemes such as growing trees or restoring habitats," she said.

"This will make it easier for farmers to access the subsidies they need to make their farm businesses sustainable over the long term."