CRISPR genome editing in plants without tissue culture

Conventional plant genome editing relies on tissue culture-mediated somatic cell regeneration, a technically demanding process that limits its application across diverse species. Emerging strategies now circumvent this bottleneck by enabling direct genome editing of meristematic or germline cells. Key advances include (i) genome editing via de novo meristem induction or dormant meristem activation; (ii) germline editing facilitated by graft-mobile tRNA-like sequence systems and haploid induction technologies; and (iii) optimized viral delivery platforms that exploit mobile RNA elements and compact editors such as TnpB to achieve efficient, transgene-free, heritable modifications across a broad range of genotypes and species. The development of robust, tissue culture-free editing platforms promises to revolutionize crop improvement pipelines and accelerate trait development for sustainable agriculture.