Advances in Genome Editing for Plant Disease Resistance Breeding

Plant diseases remain a major constraint to crop productivity and global food security. Conventional breeding has long been used to develop resistant cultivars through the introgression of resistance traits from wild relatives and the selection of favorable phenotypes. However, this process is often slow and limited by linkage drag, known genetic diversity, intrinsic genetic limitations, and the rapid evolution of pathogen populations. Molecular breeding strategies, including marker-assisted selection and genomic selection, have improved the precision of resistance breeding but still rely on existing genetic variation. Recent advances in genome editing technologies are transforming plant breeding by enabling precise modification of gene targets. CRISPR-based systems allow targeted gene knockouts, promoter editing, allelic replacement, and multiplex editing to rapidly generate resistance traits. Many studies have demonstrated that editing susceptibility genes or regulatory regions can enhance resistance to diverse pathogens. Recent research shows that resistance can also be improved by targeting non-classical genes involved in plant immunity, including transcription factors, membrane transporters, heat shock proteins, cell wall-related genes, metabolic enzymes, and epigenetic regulators. Emerging tools such as base editing, prime editing, regulatory tools, and transposon-associated genome engineering systems are further expanding the precision and versatility of plant genome editing. Despite these advances, challenges related to delivery systems, editing efficiency, regulatory frameworks, and field validation remain. Continued technological progress and improved knowledge of plant immune networks will be essential to fully integrate genome editing into crop improvement programs.