Recent Advances in Moringa Multi-Omics Research: Driving Breeding Innovation and Application Prospects

Moringa, a versatile tree species, has seen an increasing diversification of breeding objectives due to its rich nutritional value and potential applications in ecological restoration. The emergence and integration of multi-omics technologies have provided a revolutionary systems-level research framework for elucidating the fundamental biological mechanisms underlying Moringa’s agronomic traits and nutritional characteristics. This review systematically analyzes the application prospects and omics significance of Moringa based on research trends, and explores in depth the progress made in various omics studies of Moringa: the fourth iteration of the genome has identified specific genes encoding heat shock proteins (HSPs) in Moringa; phenomics reveals differential expression of Moringa under different environmental conditions; and the transcriptomics and metabolomics elucidate differential regulatory networks across different tissues and environments. In the future, multi-omics technologies can be integrated: genomics can further identify rare alleles and localize genetic loci for key agronomic traits; transcriptomics combined with epigenomics can elucidate the spatial regulation of gene expression and epigenetic mechanisms; and proteomics and metabolomics can be integrated to validate pathways and provide targets for improvement. Throughout the process, a high-throughput phenotyping platform utilizing drones will be introduced to dynamically monitor agronomic traits, enabling efficient breeding and accelerating genetic improvement.