100 most important questions in plant science

tree experiment

What are the key research priorities that will help tackle the global challenges of climate change, the biodiversity crises and feed a growing population in a sustainable way?

Ten years after these priorities were first debated and summarised by a panel of scientists and published in New Phytologist, the panel reflects on the changes to plant science and the progress made to address these research areas, published in a Letter in New Phytologist.

To re-evaluate research priorities, a new panel was formed in 2022 to provide an international perspective on the important areas for plant science research. This project, led by Prof. Claire Grierson (University of Bristol, UK), is a novel piece of research that gathered over 600 questions about plant science, from botanically curious members of the public to scientific and industrial leaders around the world. A team of 20 plant scientists from 15 nations were assembled to identify 100 of the most important questions facing plant science. There was remarkable consensus on the most important topics between the global subpanels.

These 100 questions are published in a Viewpoint in New Phytologist and highlight how climate change, biodiversity loss, and interdisciplinary and international collaborations are critical global priorities across diverse plant science research fields. The study demonstrates how critically important plant scientists believe the fight against climate change is, highlights global disparities in science funding and showcases a diverse range of important future research topics.

Publications
► Viewpoint:
One hundred important questions facing plant science: an international perspective
Emily May Armstrong, Emily R. Larson, Helen Harper, Cerian R. Webb, Frank Dohleman, Yoseph Araya, Claire Meade, Xiangyan Feng, Benard Mukoye, Maureece J. Levin, Benoit Lacombe, et al. 
New Phytologist 238: 470–481 2023
https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18771

► Letter:
One hundred important questions for plant science – reflecting on a decade of plant research
Emily R. Larson, Emily May Armstrong, Helen Harper, Sandra Knapp, Keith J. Edwards, Don Grierson, Guy Poppy, Mark W. Chase, Jonathan D. G. Jones, Ruth Bastow, Graham Jellis, Steve Barnes, et al.
New Phytologist 238:464–469  2023
https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18663

► 2011 publication:
One hundred important questions facing plant science research.
Grierson CS, Barnes SR, Chase MW, Clarke M, Grierson D, Edwards KJ, Jellis GJ, Jones JD, Knapp S, Oldroyd G et al.
New Phytologist 192: 6–12. 2011.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03859.x

 

• Source
The Golbal Plant Council, media release