Exploiting natural variation and genetic manipulation of stomatal conductance for crop improvement

Rising global temperatures and more frequent episodes of drought are expected to drive reductions in crop yield, therefore new avenues for improving crop productivity must be exploited. Stomatal conductance (gs) balances plant CO2 uptake and water loss, therefore, greatly impacting the cumulative rate of photosynthesis and water use over the growing season, which are key determinants of crop yield and productivity. Considerable natural variation exists in stomatal anatomy, biochemistry and behavioural characteristics that impact on the kinetics and magnitude of gs and thus gaseous exchange between the plant and atmosphere. Exploiting these differences in stomatal traits could provide novel breeding targets for new crop varieties that are potentially more water use efficient and have the ability to maintain and/or maximize yield in a range of diverse environments. Here we provide an overview of variation in stomatal traits and the impact these have on gs behaviour, as well as the potential to exploit such variation and genetic manipulation for crop improvement.