Main conclusion Present review describes the molecular tools and strategies deployed in the trait discovery and improvement of major crops. The prospects and challenges associated with these approaches are discussed. Abstract Crop improvement relies on modulating the genes and genomic regions underlying key traits, either directly or indirectly. Direct approaches include overexpression, RNA interference, genome editing, etc., while breeding majorly constitutes the indirect approach. With the advent of latest tools and technologies, these strategies could hasten the improvement of crop species. Next-generation sequencing, high-throughput genotyping, precision editing, use of space technology for accelerated growth, etc. had provided a new dimension to crop improvement programmes that work towards delivering better varieties to cope up with the challenges. Also, studies have widened from understanding the response of plants to single stress to combined stress, which provides insights into the molecular mechanisms regulating tolerance to more than one stress at a given point of time. Altogether, next-generation genetics and genomics had made tremendous progress in delivering improved varieties; however, the scope still exists to expand its horizon to other species that remain underutilized. In this context, the present review systematically analyses the different genomics approaches that are deployed for trait discovery and improvement in major species that could serve as a roadmap for executing similar strategies in other crop species. The application, pros, and cons, and scope for improvement of each approach have been discussed with examples, and altogether, the review provides comprehensive coverage on the advances in genomics to meet the ever-growing demands for agricultural produce. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00425-020-03465-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

中文翻译：

---

育种和生物技术干预以改善性状：现状和前景

主要结论 本综述描述了在主要作物的性状发现和改良中部署的分子工具和策略。讨论了与这些方法相关的前景和挑战。摘要 作物改良依赖于直接或间接调节关键性状的基因和基因组区域。直接方法包括过表达、RNA干扰、基因组编辑等，而育种主要构成间接方法。随着最新工具和技术的出现，这些策略可以加速作物品种的改良。新一代测序、高通量基因分型、精准编辑、利用空间技术加速生长等。为作物改良计划提供了一个新的维度，旨在提供更好的品种以应对挑战。此外，研究已经从了解植物对单一胁迫的反应扩大到复合胁迫，这提供了对在给定时间点调节对多种胁迫的耐受性的分子机制的见解。总之，下一代遗传学和基因组学在提供改良品种方面取得了巨大进展；但是，仍然存在将其视野扩展到其他仍未得到充分利用的物种的范围。在这种情况下，本综述系统地分析了用于主要物种性状发现和改良的不同基因组学方法，这些方法可以作为在其他作物物种中执行类似策略的路线图。该应用程序，优点，已经通过示例讨论了每种方法的优缺点和改进范围，总而言之，该评论全面涵盖了基因组学的进展，以满足对农产品不断增长的需求。电子补充材料 本文的在线版本 (10.1007/s00425-020-03465-4) 包含补充材料，可供授权用户使用。