Role of recent improved breeding methods in crop improvement in India

India, with its vast population and diverse agro-climatic zones, faces the challenge of ensuring food security amidst climate change, shrinking arable land, and increasing biotic and abiotic stresses. Recent advances in plant breeding methods, including genomic-assisted breeding, speed breeding, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, and marker-assisted selection, have revolutionized crop improvement. These techniques have accelerated the development of high-yielding, stress-tolerant, and nutritionally enhanced crop varieties. This paper reviews the role of these improved breeding methods in enhancing crop productivity in India, with a focus on recent examples such as heat-tolerant pigeonpea, drought-resistant wheat, and biofortified rice. The integration of these technologies with conventional breeding, their impact on Indian agriculture, and the challenges of adoption are discussed, along with future prospects for sustainable crop improvement.