Advancing ornamental plant breeding through genomic technologies: opportunities, challenges, and future directions

The ornamental plants constitute an important sector of horticulture industry, which are worth billions of dollars worldwide. There is a growing demand for new and improved cultivars and hence, breeders employ new tools and methods to address the problem of plant improvement. Recent advancements in Ornamental plant genomics have seen a great revolution due to new technologies of whole genome sequencing which have created previously unheard-of breeding program prospects. Research into gene regulation, genomic variations, genome evolution, and other biological processes are now aided by the use of complete genome sequencing data. The assembly of high-quality genomes for various ornamental species has facilitated the identification of genes controlling desirable traits such as flower color, shape, fragrance, biotic and abiotic stress resistance. The CRISPR/Cas9 based genome editing technology has offered immense scope for ornamental plant improvement through the enhancement of floral characteristics. Herein, we discuss how these genomic resources can be leveraged to improve breeding efficiency, accelerate the development of novel cultivars to augment the sustainability of the ornamental plant industry. This review aims to provide a viewpoint for the application of whole genome sequencing in ornamental plant breeding, highlighting the opportunities, challenges, and future prospects.