Accelerating Crop Improvement through Rapid Generation Advancement and Speed Breeding

The field of crop improvement is experiencing a profound transformation with the advent of Rapid Generation Advancement (RGA) and speed breeding approaches, aiming to accelerate genetic gain in response to intensifying global challenges such as climate change, growing population, dwindling resources, and persistent food insecurity. Conventional plant breeding methods, historically limited by lengthy generational intervals and environmental unpredictability, have restricted the pace of varietal development and genetic progress. Recent studies highlight how the integration of controlled-environment technologies—manipulating photoperiod, light spectrum, temperature, and humidity—can enable multiple crop generations within a single year. Advanced RGA strategies, such as single seed descent, doubled haploidy, and early flowering induction, further shrink the time from cross to cultivar. Despite noteworthy advances—exemplified by improved LED lighting, automated climate systems, and vertical farming systems—the field continues to grapple with challenges in scalability, reproducibility, and integration within diverse breeding pipelines. Moreover, the synergistic use of genomic selection, marker-assisted selection, and high-throughput phenotyping remains a rapidly evolving area with significant untapped potential for maximizing both the rate and quality of genetic gain.This Research Topic aims to provide a comprehensive platform for disseminating advances and emerging methodologies at the intersection of rapid generation advancement, controlled-environment breeding, and modern genomic technologies. The objective is to showcase innovative protocols that accelerate breeding cycles across crop species, highlight successful integration of RGA with powerful molecular and phenomic tools, and present applications that demonstrate accelerated development of varieties with enhanced yield, nutritional value, and climate resilience. An additional aim is to foster critical discussion on persistent bottlenecks, innovative solutions for scalability, and future directions for deploying high-throughput generation advancement in real-world breeding programs. The Research Topic seeks to answer key questions regarding the most effective strategies to integrate RGA with next-generation breeding technologies and how these can be applied to address global challenges in crop production.The scope of this Research Topic encompasses both fundamental advances and applied innovations in high-throughput generation advancement within plant breeding frameworks, while focusing on practical and scalable solutions for diverse crop systems. Conceptual and technical boundaries include research on the development, optimization, and integration of RGA protocols, as well as controlled-environment and automation strategies. To gather further insights relevant to accelerating genetic progress in crops, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Speed breeding and RGA protocol development across crops• Advanced controlled-environment systems (chambers, greenhouses, vertical farming)LED lighting, photoperiod, and climate manipulation for rapid generation cycling• Integration of single seed descent, doubled haploid, and embryo rescue with RGA• Early flowering induction and in vitro techniques to shorten breeding timelines• Transitional pipelines uniting RGA with molecular breeding and genome editing• High-throughput phenotyping and early-generation selection technologies• Automation, hydroponics, and optimized nutrition for enhancing generation turnover• Applications of RGA for stress tolerance, yield, quality, and specific breeding goals• Case studies and cross-crop comparisons on achieved genetic gain• Technical challenges, bottlenecks, and recommendations for global breeding programs Topic editors: Beena R, Uma Maheshwar Singh, Rameswar Sah, Vijay Sheri Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79339/accelerating-crop-improvement-through-rapid-generation-advancement-and-speed-breeding