Engineering crop genomes: A review of editing tool evolution, applications, and future trajectories

Abstract
Crop improvement requires precise modification of genotypes to enhance their usefulness for human need that encompasses a broad range of techniques. It started with conventional plant breeding techniques like domestication, selection, hybridization breeding, mutation breeding, and passes through molecular breeding. These techniques have pros and cons in terms of their procedure, application, and outcome. Therefore, efficient desirable manipulation of genotypes can achieve through genome editing techniques that includes inactivation of target gene, replacement or addition of new gene with new function to the genome. In the recent past, emergence of new approach of genome editing enables researcher to manipulate gene. It uses artificial nucleases to modify genome rapidly which allow reverse genetics, genome engineering and targeted transgene integration in to one experiment in an efficient, precise and predictable manner. Tools used for genome editing are, programmable sequence specific nucleases which includes Mega nucleases, ZFN, TALEN and CRISPR-cas9 and base editor. Use of this genome editing tools to get desirable characters has been reported in many crops. This review paper has elaborately focused on genome editing tools and desirable modification of characters for crop improvements.

Author
Mehdi Rahimi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egg.2025.100408

ISSN
2405-9854

Publish Date: 29-Sep-2025