Application of new breeding techniques in fruit trees

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Plant Biotechnology
• Genetics

Background:

• Climate change and invasive pathogens necessitate rapid development of improved fruit varieties.
• Traditional breeding methods are insufficient to meet the growing global demand for resilient fruit crops.
• New breeding techniques (NBTs) offer accelerated solutions for fruit crop enhancement.

Approach:

• This review syntheses the application of accelerated breeding, cisgenesis, and CRISPR/Cas genome editing in fruit trees.
• It details advancements in CRISPR/Cas tools, including multiplexing and base editing, for fruit crop improvement.
• The review covers improved delivery methods like nanoparticles and viral replicons for DNA-free editing.

Key Points:

• NBTs successfully confer pathogen resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, and improved quality traits in fruit trees.
• Optimized CRISPR/Cas tools enhance precision and efficiency in fruit tree genome editing.
• Novel delivery systems facilitate the development of genetically edited, exogenous DNA-free fruit species.

Conclusions:

• Cisgenesis and CRISPR/Cas genome editing show great versatility for fruit crop improvement.
• Addressing regulatory and social acceptance issues is crucial for implementing NBTs in fruit production.
• Further optimization of NBTs is needed for widespread application in the fruit industry.