Programmes directed towards the common crop plants

These programmes can be directed towards incorporating the following traits among common crop plants.

1. Non-photo inhibition of photosynthesis particularly in the tropics would mean several fold increase in biomass produced over the same period provided-water and carbon dioxide supply are non-limiting.
2. Resistance to high temperature beyond mesophilic ranges can allow agriculture in several areas that are left uncultivated because of prohibitive temperatures. To a large extent any strategy to achieve this would depend on the water status of the environment.
3. Cold-hardiness in cultivars can help curb the losses often incurred because of extremely low temperatures reached during winters in some parts of the world.
4. Drought resistance in crop plants will be particularly helpful to our primarily rain-fed agriculture.
5. Salt tolerance in plants will bring a lot more of territory under green cover.