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Faster, Smarter, Precise: Integrating Speed Breeding and CRISPR-Based New Genomic Techniques into the Conventional Field Crop Breeding Pipeline

delete2026-08-05
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OA
AI
V
Velimir Mladenov *
R
Rada Šućur
B
Borislav Banjac
M
Milana Čurčić
T
Teodora Feher Kričković
J
Jasna Musić
S
Sofija Petrović
B
Bojan Drašković
F
Faheem Shehzad Baloch
W
Wei Hu
DOI:10.3390/plants15152389delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Generation time is the principal bottleneck constraining genetic gain in plant breeding. Speed breeding (SB) addresses this by simultaneously managing the photoperiod, light spectrum and intensity, temperature, CO2 concentration, mineral nutrition, growing substrate volume, and post-harvest seed dormancy, enabling four to seven generations per year in long-day cereals and legumes, and four to five generations in optimised short-day systems. This review evaluates SB against the conventional pedigree framework; synthesises validated environmental parameters and crop-specific protocols; and examines principal SB applications in hybridisation, genomic selection, disease-resistance screening, and allele introgression. A structured comparison of major review and protocol papers identifies broad consensus on core parameters alongside genuine divergence on far-red light supplementation. Critical evaluation addresses genotype-by-environment interaction, incomplete trait coverage, infrastructure costs, and unresolved questions on the biological integrity of rapidly advanced generations. The review further discusses new genomic techniques (NGTs), particularly CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing, in the context of the EU’s June 2026 NGT regulation, under which Category 1 plants carrying only targeted endogenous modifications are exempt from GMO authorisation. When combined with SB, this regulatory shift can compress the interval from gene-editing event to registered variety from decades to a few years. Speed breeding, NGTs, and conventional field-based selection are most productively treated as complementary elements of a unified pipeline.
Keywords:
speed breeding
generation advancement
new genomic techniques
CRISPR
plant breeding
genomic selection

Journal

P
Plants-Basel
IF:
4.1
Papers:
476
Citations:
0

Organization

U
University of Novi Sad
Scholars:
8.9K
Papers: 6.1K
Citations: 5.0K
K
kws srbija doo
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2
Papers: 1
Citations: 0
M
mersin university
Scholars:
670
Papers: 508
Citations: 21
C
Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences
Scholars:
5.3K
Papers: 2.9K
Citations: 4.7K
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