Maize Genomics and Genetics 2025, Vol.16, No.6, 294-303 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/mgg 301 environment when they reach the fields. Therefore, for these technologies to truly take root, molecular biologists, breeders and regulatory authorities must act together to bridge the last mile from the laboratory bench to the farmland (Ying et al., 2025). Otherwise, the breakthroughs in the laboratory might still remain at the level of papers. 8 Concluding Remarks and Future Directions CRISPR/Cas9 is no longer a new term in the research of corn drought resistance, but the changes it has brought are still impressive. By targeting and regulating negative regulatory factors such as ZmPL1, ZmHDT103 and ARGOS8, researchers have successfully obtained corn materials that can still achieve stable yields in arid environments. Unlike traditional breeding, these edited plants are not only drought-tolerant but also maintain a good physiological state-less oxidative stress, higher water content and survival rate, while with almost no yield loss under normal conditions. It can be said that this efficient and precise tool has brought the climate-adaptive breeding of corn into an "accelerated stage". It is worth noting that the research has not been confined to a single gene. Multiple CRISPR strategies are emerging as a new direction, such as the BREEDIT process, which can edit multiple genes or gene families at once, helping researchers deal with complex polygenic traits like drought resistance. This approach has produced a richer combination of mutations, providing the possibility of screening out the optimal gene pairings. Meanwhile, the new generation of editing systems-base editing, guide editing and non-GMO RNP delivery-have further enhanced accuracy, reduced the risk of off-target, and also gained greater flexibility at the regulatory level. Together, they have broadened the boundaries of crop improvement, making it possible to deal with multiple stresses. However, to truly bring these achievements into the fields, cross-disciplinary cooperation is still needed. Molecular methods alone are far from enough; the combination of genomics, physiology and agronomy is the key. Multi-omics analysis is helpful in identifying new candidate targets, while the accumulation of field phenotypic and physiological data can verify the performance of these editing strains in real-world environments. In the future, the collaboration among molecular biologists, breeders and regulatory agencies will determine whether CRISPR-edited corn can truly be applied on a large scale. Only when science, policy and public awareness keep pace simultaneously can this technology have a sustained impact on global agriculture. Acknowledgments I extend my heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Zhou for her guidance, insightful suggestions, and dedicated contributions during the study’s finalisation. Conflict of Interest Disclosure The author affirms that this research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. References Abdallah N., Elsharawy H., Abulela H., Thilmony R., Abdelhadi A., and Elarabi N., 2022, Multiplex CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing to address drought tolerance in wheat, GM Crops & Food, 16(1): 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/21645698.2022.2120313 Ahmad M., 2023, Plant breeding advancements with “CRISPR-Cas” genome editing technologies will assist future food security, Frontiers in Plant Science, 14: 1133036. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2023.1133036 Ahmar S., Hensel G., and Gruszka D., 2023, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing techniques and new breeding strategies in cereals: current status, improvements, and perspectives, Biotechnology Advances, 61: 108248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108248 Ansari W., Chandanshive S., Bhatt V., Nadaf A., Vats S., Katara J., Sonah H., and Deshmukh R., 2020, Genome editing in cereals: approaches, applications and challenges, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(11): 4040. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21114040 Bao A., Burritt D., Chen H., Zhou X., Cao D., and Tran L., 2019, The CRISPR/Cas9 system and its applications in crop genome editing, Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, 39(3): 321-336. https://doi.org/10.1080/07388551.2018.1554621
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