Environmental stresses such as extreme temperatures, drought, flood and soil quality are major causes of agricultural yield losses today. Crop losses due to such conditions can be as high as 80% of attainable yields, and changing climate patterns may increase losses further. In the face of the global population boom and increasing demand for food, feed, fiber and fuel, we must strive to extract maximum yields from the available arable land. This session will spotlight innovative abiotic stress tolerance researchers who are uncovering new ways biotechnology can help protect valuable yields and offer novel solutions across crops and around the world.

• Demonstrate the capacity of plant biotechnology to dramatically improve plant performance
• Outline major advancements made by world-renowned researchers in academia and industry
• Explain the importance of biotech approaches in the context of a changing environment and economic reality