Scientists have deciphered the key mechanisms of dormancy in barley seeds, helping to address the challenges of climate and food.

It was learned from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences that the team of ancient ecology and human adaptation, in conjunction with dozens of research institutions worldwide, has deciphered the key mechanism of seed dormancy in barley. This provides a possibility for genome design breeding and the construction of a sustainable high-performance agricultural system, as well as a new way to address the food security challenges brought about by extreme climate change and explosive population growth in the future. This achievement was recently published in the international academic journal "Science".