Genome editing in rice: toward climate-resilient, nutrient-rich yields

Rice is the main source of calories for more than half of the world's population, so yields must increase to feed an estimated 5 billion people by 2050, despite the effects of resource depletion and climate change. The urgent demand for resilient, higher-yielding varieties cannot be met by conventional breeding, which is too slow, or transgenesis, which is burdened by regulatory issues. In contrast, genome editing enables precise, efficient, and transgene-free improvements for gene knockouts. This review covers major advances in rice genome editing since 2020, including innovations in base and prime editing, multiplex editing, and delivery. We highlight applications that improve yield, abiotic and biotic stress resilience, and nutritional quality, as well as challenges and future directions affecting precision, delivery, and regulatory policy.