The Potential of CRISPR/Cas Technology to Enhance Crop Performance on Adverse Soil Conditions

Abstract

Worldwide food security is under threat in the actual scenery of global climate change because the major staple food crops are not adapted to hostile climatic and soil conditions. Significant efforts have been performed to maintain the actual yield of crops, using traditional breeding and innovative molecular techniques to assist them. However, additional strategies are necessary to achieve the future food demand. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/CRISPR-associated protein (CRISPR/Cas) technology, as well as its variants, have emerged as alternatives to transgenic plant breeding. This novelty has helped to accelerate the necessary modifications in major crops to confront the impact of abiotic stress on agriculture systems. This review summarizes the current advances in CRISPR/Cas applications in crops to deal with the main hostile soil conditions, such as drought, flooding and waterlogging, salinity, heavy metals, and nutrient deficiencies. In addition, the potential of extremophytes as a reservoir of new molecular mechanisms for abiotic stress tolerance, as well as their orthologue identification and edition in crops, is shown. Moreover, the future challenges and prospects related to CRISPR/Cas technology issues, legal regulations, and customer acceptance will be discussed.

Viral delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing for rapid crop improvement: A promising approach to enhance crop resilience against biotic and abiotic stresses

“…The revolutionary CRISPR/Cas9 technology has the potential to significantly accelerate crop breeding efforts aimed at enhancing resilience to both biotic and abiotic stresses (Gajardo et al, 2023) [40] . Biotic stresses caused by pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and pests, as well as abiotic stresses like drought, extreme temperatures, and soil salinity, pose significant challenges to global agriculture and food security (Husaini, 2022) [54] .…”

Mitigating Metal/Metalloid Stress in Crops: Strategies for Sustainable Agricultural Resilience

“…This technique allows for precise genetic modifications by directing the Cas9 enzyme to specific DNA sequences, facilitating targeted edits to enhance plant resilience to metal/metalloid stress. The pioneering applications by the authors in [89,90] demonstrate CRISPR/ Cas9's capability to modify genetic pathways for improved abiotic stress tolerance, significantly enhancing crop yield and quality on contaminated soils. This technology complements traditional breeding and provides a transformative approach to understanding and manipulating the genetic bases of metal resistance in plants.…”

Application of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology in various fields: A review

“…The application of CRISPR-Cas9 technology in environmental sciences presents exciting possibilities for addressing environmental challenges, conservation efforts, and sustainable practices [ 34 ]. This sub-section provides an overview of the use of CRISPR-Cas9 in environmental research and potential applications.…”

“…Additionally, CRISPR-Cas9 has the potential to enhance agricultural practices and promote sustainable farming methods. The use of CRISPR-Cas9 to develop crops with improved nutrient uptake, drought resistance, and reduced pesticide reliance [ 34 ]. These genetic modifications can contribute to increased crop productivity, reduced environmental impact, and more sustainable food production [ 34 ].…”