Active Adaptive Evolution in Flax – Use in Developing Varieties for Combating Climate Change

Certain varieties of flax respond to stressful the growth conditions by reorganizing their genomes. The genomic changes are limited to specific regions of the genome and these variants can be, but are not necessarily, inherited in subsequent generations. The set of genomic sites that are modified is related to the growth conditions under which they arise. The high frequency at which these changes can be stabilized is consistent with them being under active selection. Therefore flax can be used a model system to determine the extent to which a single variety can rapidly adapt to varying growth conditions, that is how far from the mean can a single variety move in response to environmental stress? In addition, if the genes that control this response can be identified and transferred to other crops, then it may be possible to have the development of climate resilient crops under the internal control of the plant itself, within the limits available to this mechanism.