Enhancement of Agricultural Crops: A CRISPR/Cas9-Based Approach

Abstract

Horticultural crops are indispensable agricultural food materials with all essential nutrients. Though, severe threats like pests, diseases, and adverse abiotic factors will affect their productivity and quality. This permits to promote sustainable agriculture by utilizing the recent biotechnological approach to tackle the mentioned issues. In recent year’s genome editing technologies has become one of the most executed genetic tools which altered plant molecular biology. Recently, CRISPR-Cas utilizes for its high target specificity, easier design, and higher success rate. This chapter deals with recent advances in CRISPR/Cas9 technology in horticultural crops in response to the enrichment of essential metabolites, which was achieved by introducing the viral genome to the host via CRISPR-mediated targeted mutation. Furthermore, the strategies based on CRISPR/Cas9 targeted modifications of genes in crop species such as rice, wheat, and soy will be discussed. Finally, we discuss the challenges, improvements, and prospective applications of this cutting-edge technology.