The global population continues to rise, as does the likelihood of reduced yields of major food crops due to the changing climate, thus making the development of genetically improved, stress-resilient crops a research priority. The convergence of low-cost genome sequencing with improved computational power and high-throughput molecular phenotyping technologies has accelerated the identification of genes underlying important agronomic traits relevant to food production and quality. Here, we discuss the evolution of plant improvement, and how researchers leverage genomic analyses and revolutionary new plant breeding technologies like site-directed nucleases to enhance food crop traits through agricultural biotechnology. Deployment of these products from the laboratory to the field remains hindered by biological and regulatory bottlenecks that require further development.

全球人口继续增加，由于气候变化，主要粮食作物的单产下降的可能性也在增加，因此，将遗传改良的，具有抗逆性的作物的开发作为研究重点。低成本基因组测序与更高的计算能力和高通量分子表型技术的融合，加速了与食品生产和质量相关的重要农艺性状的基因识别。在这里，我们讨论植物改良的演变，以及研究人员如何利用基因组分析和革命性的新植物育种技术（如定点核酸酶）来通过农业生物技术提高粮食作物的性状。