Field Crop 2025, Vol.8, No.1, 20-31 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/fc 29 7.3 Enhancing social acceptance Getting the public to accept CRISPR-edited rice is more difficult than technical breakthroughs. Although scientists think the technology is accurate and efficient, ordinary consumers always wonder if there will be any problems after eating it (Ansari et al., 2020). To be honest, this worry is understandable. After all, the word "gene" is easy to make people nervous. The most important thing now is to make things clear: for example, explain in a simple and easy-to-understand way that gene editing and genetic modification are not the same thing; for example, make field trial data public so that everyone can see that the new varieties are both safe and increase yields. Some teams are quite smart and directly invite farmers to participate in trial planting, using real harvests to speak. In the final analysis, the promotion of new technologies cannot rely solely on laboratory data. Ordinary people must be able to see, eat, and buy them with confidence. In order to make the people really accept CRISPR rice, it is not enough to just tinker in the laboratory, but we need to bring in all parties to talk. Farmers are most concerned about whether the yield can be increased, consumers are worried about safety, and policymakers have to consider how to formulate regulations-to address the concerns of these people (Zafar et al., 2020). Now some places are doing well, such as organizing some popular science activities, using plain language to explain how gene editing can make rice both high-yield and less pesticide (Sampath et al., 2023). There have also been improvements in policies. Countries like the United States and Japan have learned to distinguish between traditional genetically modified and CRISPR-edited crops, and the approval process has been significantly simplified (Thomson, 2019). In the final analysis, no matter how advanced the technology is, it must be grounded. Only when those who grow crops, eat, and manage things are assured, can CRISPR rice really be served on the tables of ordinary people. 8 Concluding Remarks Speaking of the technological revolution in rice breeding, CRISPR/Cas9 is definitely a "game changer". The most powerful thing about this technology is that it can edit genes as accurately as a scalpel-you can change whatever you want, and the efficiency is very high. For example, in the matter of drought resistance, scientists tinkered with the OsSAP gene, and as a result, rice not only survived better under drought conditions, but also grew stronger. However, it is not enough to solve drought resistance alone. Now even the yield problem can be solved together: after genes such as OsPIN5b and GS3 are edited, the new varieties not only have higher yields, but also have improved cold resistance. What's more, this technology can also play a "combination punch" and change several genes at one time. The rice cultivated in this way is simply an "all-round player" that can withstand harsh environments and has high yields. Although traditional breeding methods have not been completely eliminated, CRISPR technology has indeed opened up new horizons for rice breeding. How can CRISPR technology make breakthroughs in rice breeding next? Scientists have several key research directions. First of all, we have to expand the "gene target library" and can't always focus on those old genes. The new tools such as CRISPR-Cpf1 and base editors are quite promising. They are more accurate than the old Cas9 and can perform more complex editing operations. However, the most troublesome problem now is the off-target problem-just like shooting off the target, we have to find a way to increase the hit rate. In addition, it is also critical whether the excellent traits after editing can be stably inherited. We can't let good traits disappear after being passed on. Interestingly, some people have begun to try to combine CRISPR with traditional breeding hybridization technology, which may be able to breed "hexagonal warrior" rice that is both disease-resistant and drought-resistant and has high yield faster. Of course, for these ideas to become a reality, they still have to rely on a lot of experiments to verify. Farming is becoming more and more difficult nowadays-either drought or flooding, and there are more and more saline-alkali lands. At this time, CRISPR technology can help a lot. It can cultivate particularly "resistant" rice varieties that can produce stable yields no matter how the weather changes. This is very important for ensuring food security. And these new varieties have an additional benefit: with strong disease and insect resistance,
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