Agricultural Biotechnology and Crop Improvement: Developments, Applications and Future Prospects
Keywords:
Biotechnology , Agricultural , Crop Improvement, Developments, Agricultural Biotechnology, Genome editing, CRISPR-Cas, Climate-resilient cropsAbstract
Agricultural biotechnology has become an essential approach for accelerating crop improvement and addressing emerging challenges to global food and nutritional security. This review examines major developments, applications and future prospects of biotechnology-based crop improvement. Key developments include molecular markers, marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, genetic engineering and CRISPR-based genome editing, including advanced tools such as base and prime editing. These technologies have expanded opportunities to improve yield, agronomic characteristics, resistance to biotic stresses and tolerance to drought, salinity and heat, as well as nutritional and quality traits. Recent advances further demonstrate the potential of integrating biotechnology with genomics, multi-omics, high-throughput phenotyping and artificial intelligence to develop precise and climate-resilient crop varieties. However, technical, biosafety, regulatory, ethical and accessibility challenges remain important considerations for responsible implementation. Overall, biotechnology offers substantial potential for sustainable and resilient crop improvement.
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