Genome Editing accelerated Re-Domestication” (GEaReD) – a new major
direction in plant breeding
Abstract
The effects of climate change, soil depletion, a growing world
population putting pressure on food safety and security are major
challenges for agriculture in the 21st century. The breeding success of
the green revolution has decelerated and current programs can only
offset the yield affecting factors. New approaches are urgently needed
and we propose, “Genome Editing accelerated Re-Domestication” (GEaReD)
as a major new direction in plant breeding. By combining the upcoming
technologies for phenotyping, omics and artificial intelligence with the
promising new CRISPR-toolkits, this approach is closer than ever. Wild
relatives of current crops are often adapted to harsh environments and
have a high genetic diversity. Re-domestication of wild barley or
teosinte could generate new cultivars adapted to environmental changes.
De novo domestication of perennial relatives like Hordeum bulbosum could
counter with soil depletion and increase soil carbon. Recent research
already proved the principle of re-domestication in tomato and rice and
therefore laid the foundation for GEaReD.