Research Progress of CRISPR/Cas9 Application in Rice Cultivation

Abstract

Rice, being one of the world's most important staple crops, plays an important role in global food security and sustainable agriculture. The CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology has attracted widespread attention globally. With its precision and simplicity, rice breeding and research now heavily rely on the CRISPR gene editing method. The rice genome has been fully sequenced and intensively studied. Genome editing in rice holds great potential for variety improvement and agricultural production. In recent years, many studies have reported successful cases of gene knockout, point mutations, and targeted genome insertions using CRISPR-mediated genetic improvement strategies in rice. Using CRISPR gene editing technology to introduce new beneficial traits in rice, such as increased quality and nutritional value, disease resistance, stress tolerance, and greater control of rice growth and development has shown great potential. However, despite the broad prospects of CRISPR technology in rice, there are still many challenges and technical limitations to overcome, and issues regarding precision and safety remain unresolved. This review intended to provide an overview of the CRISPR technology's principles, methods, and researched progress in rice, as well as to analyze its possible benefits and difficulties in rice breeding while also providing information on its potential future applications.