Molecular Plant Breeding 2024, Vol.15, No.1, 15-26 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/mpb 15 Brief History of Plant Breeding Open Access Breeding 4.0: The Breeding Revolution of Genetic Information Integration and Editing JimFang Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China Corresponding email: james.xj.fang@qq.com Molecular Plant Breeding, 2024, Vol.15, No.1 doi: 10.5376/mpb.2024.15.0003 Received: 10 Dec., 2023 Accepted: 18 Jan., 2024 Published: 05 Feb., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Fang, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Fang J., 2024, Breeding 4.0: The breeding revolution of genetic information integration and editing, Molecular Plant Breeding, 15(1): 15-26 (doi: 10.5376/mpb.2024.15.0003) Abstract Breeding 4.0 represents a breeding revolution in genetic information integration and editing, and is an important innovation in the field of plant breeding. By integrating genetic and genomic information, Breeding 4.0 introduces highly precise genotype selection and gene editing technologies to improve breeding efficiency and accuracy. This revolutionary breeding method helps accelerate the improvement and optimization of crop varieties to meet the growing agricultural demand and sustainable development challenges. The technology and methods of Breeding 4.0, including the development of genome prediction and selection, the application of high-throughput phenotype determination, and the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in Breeding 4.0. The application and benefits of Breeding 4.0 are obvious, including examples and advantages of genetically modified breeding and gene editing breeding, as well as the contribution of Breeding 4.0 to sustainable agricultural development. However, Breeding 4.0 faces ethical, legal, and social considerations, as well as technical and methodological challenges. Undoubtedly, Breeding 4.0 is the forefront and future direction of contemporary breeding, providing a foundation for achieving higher-level breeding goals. Keywords Breeding 4.0; Genetic information; Genotype selection; Gene editing; Sustainable agricultural development 1 Introduction Breeding has always been a key area in agricultural development, continuously driving the improvement and enhancement of crops. With the progress of science and technology and the deepening of genomic research, breeding has undergone several stages of evolution. Breeding 4.0, as the latest stage of breeding revolution, revolves around the genetic information integration and editing, ushering in a new era of breeding (Wallace et al., 2018). The core concept of Breeding 4.0 is to apply the genetic information integration and editing in the breeding process. By integrating and analyzing large-scale genetic data, such as genome sequencing and big data analysis, breeders can more accurately understand the genetic background and trait expression of crops, guiding the determination of breeding goals and the selection process. Additionally, the emergence of gene editing technology allows breeders to directly edit the genome of crops, precisely altering target traits and accelerating the breeding process. Under the guidance of Breeding 4.0, transgenic breeding has become an important application area. By introducing exogenous genes or regulating the expression of endogenous genes, transgenic breeding can confer traits such as disease resistance and stress tolerance to crops, enhancing crop yield and quality. Simultaneously, the rapid development of gene editing technology provides breeders with more precise and efficient tools. This allows for precise modifications at target gene loci, achieving more accurate and fine-tuned crop improvements. This study will focus on exploring the technologies and methods, applications and benefits, as well as the challenges and future prospects of Breeding 4.0. Through in-depth research on the development of Breeding 4.0, we aim to better understand the significance and impact of this breeding revolution stage, contributing to sustainable agricultural development and food security.
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