Crop legacies as genetic targets for sustainable farming systems.

Crop legacy effects on soil properties are heritable traits that can be targeted in breeding to promote sustainable farming systems.

• Why it matters: Current crop breeding largely overlooks how crops influence soil conditions, which are crucial for environmental sustainability and future crop performance.
• What they did: The authors review mechanisms, frameworks, and practical challenges for incorporating legacy effects—altered soil nutrients, water, structure, and microbial communities—into breeding programs, emphasizing heritable variation within crop species.
• The result: Harnessing crop legacy traits offers a new genetic avenue to improve soil health and sustainability, paving the way for more environmentally friendly agricultural practices.