Genetic engineering and new genomic techniques in plant breeding

Abstract

Crossbreeding and selection were and are milestones in plant breeding and both have been very successful in increasing crop yields and securing food supplies. Increasingly more rapid changes (biotic and abiotic), higher demands on resistance, quality, etc. require a constant expansion of the range of methods for the genetic modification of plants in order to adapt them precisely, safely and quickly to changing requirements. In plant breeding, there is a continuum in the range of methods. The last methods – heavily discussed – were genetic engineering and the new genomic techniques such as CRISPR-Cas and Co. While classical genetic engineering focussed on the introduction of herbicide tolerance and/or insect resistance, the focus is now on growth and yield increases, quality improvements and tolerance against abiotic and biotic stress.