NEW PLANT BREEDING TECHNIQUES TO BOOST RESILIENCE OF FOOD SYSTEM

Plant breeding has advanced significantly with the advent of new techniques that boost the resilience of food systems. Modern approaches, such as CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-Cas9, RNA (ribonucleic acid) interference, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS), have revolutionized the ability to enhance crop resilience against biotic and abiotic stresses. These technologies enable precise and targeted genetic modifications, facilitating the development of crops that can withstand extreme weather conditions, pests, and diseases. Additionally, novel breeding methods contribute to improved nutritional quality and yield stability, essential for food security against climate change. The integration of high-throughput phenotyping and bioinformatics accelerates the identification and incorporation of desirable traits, ensuring rapid progress in crop improvement. These advancements support sustainable agricultural practices as well as reduce reliance on chemical inputs, promoting environmental health. By fostering genetic diversity and enhancing adaptive capacity, new plant breeding techniques play a crucial role in building resilient food systems capable of enduring and thriving under future challenges.