Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-Cas genome editing transforming crop stress tolerance for global food security
Abstract
Climate change increasingly threatens global crop productivity by intensifying drought, salinity, temperature extremes, and biotic stresses. Developing climate-resilient cultivars has therefore become a central objective in modern crop breeding programs. Conventional breeding approaches are often limited by complex trait inheritance and long selection cycles, particularly for polygenic stress-adaptive traits. Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-associated protein (Cas) genome editing genome editing provides a precise and efficient platform for targeted manipulation of genes controlling stress tolerance, yield stability, and adaptive performance. This review synthesizes recent advances in CRISPR mediated improvement of resilience to major abiotic stresses (drought, salinity, heat, and cold) and biotic stresses (fungi, bacteria, viruses, and insects) across important cereal, legume, and horticultural crops. Emphasis is placed on the editing of transcription factors, signaling regulators, susceptibility genes, and redox-associated pathways that enhance physiological and molecular stress adaptation. Furthermore, the integration of CRISPR with genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, genome-wide association studies, high-throughput phenotyping, and artificial intelligence-driven prediction tools is accelerating precision breeding strategies. Despite remaining challenges related to off-target effects, delivery systems, and regulatory frameworks, genome editing represents a transformative approach for advancing climate-resilient crop development and sustainable agricultural production.