CRISPR Innovations in Crop Breeding

In a world where agriculture is confronted with unprecedented challenges—such as climate variability, emerging pathogens, and soil degradation, in addition to growing demands for nutritionally enhanced food—the need for breakthrough technologies is pressing to accelerate breeding timelines while achieving trait precision beyond conventional methods. CRISPR-based genome editing is at the forefront of this transformation.This topic covers new research directions where CRISPR reshapes modern breeding pipelines through the targeted editing of key genes associated with disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, yield, nutritional quality, and general crop quality. With an emphasis on the integration of gene editing with the engineering of traits, the focus extends to the molecular mechanisms underlying trait modification and the translational pathways toward field-ready cultivars. This work is critical for creating next-generation crops that will help meet global sustainability and food security challenges.The theme also follows the leading edge of the latest research into plant biotechnology, which includes multiplex editing, base and prime editing, cis-editing for the purpose of regulatory fine-tuning, de novo domestication of orphan crops, and engineering resistance pathways against viruses, fungi, and insect pests. It also allows for the accommodation of interdisciplinary approaches that incorporate computational prediction tools, phenomics, speed breeding, and systems biology.By bringing together experts from these areas, this collection will be a valuable reference for scientists, policy analysts, and industry professionals. It will emphasize the transformative power of CRISPR-enabled breeding for the future of agriculture in a sustainable, accurate, and scalable way.This Research Topic explores the current issues in agriculture, such as climate variability, the emergence of new pathogens, soil degradation, and the increasing need for nutritionally improved and high-quality food. It explores the revolutionary technologies that have the potential to hasten the breeding process while ensuring the precision of traits beyond what is possible using conventional approaches. The topic is centered on the use of CRISPR-Cas genome editing and its potential to revolutionize modern crop breeding by modifying genes associated with disease resistance, abiotic stress, yield, nutritional improvement, and overall crop quality. The topic highlights the convergence of gene editing and trait engineering, which includes both basic molecular processes of trait modification and translational approaches that make it possible to develop field-ready crops.Particular sub themes of interest include:- Genome editing using CRISPR/Cas systems for the improvement of agronomic and nutritional traits- Genome editing for the development of durable resistance to plant viruses, fungi, insect pests, and other pathogens- Multiplex genome editing, base editing, and prime editing for crop improvement- Genome editing of regulatory elements and cis-editing for the refinement of complex and quantitative traits- De novo domestication and genome editing of orphan and underutilized crops- Integration of genome editing with speed breeding, phenomics, and molecular breeding- Computational and systems biology approaches for trait prediction and validation- Translational approaches, biosafety, and regulatory aspects for field implementation Topic editors: Prasad Parchuri, Sudhakar Reddy Palakolanu, Srinivas Ankanagari Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77071/crispr-innovations-in-crop-breeding