Journal of Tea Science Research, 2025, Vol.15, No.1, 12-20 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/jtsr 17 6.3 Directed breeding examples of region-specific tea cultivars Population genomics and molecular marker analysis have been used to characterize genetic diversity and structure in regional tea germplasms. Genome resequencing of tea accessions, for instance, revealed strict selection on disease resistance and flavor traits in target populations, guiding the development of regionally adapted cultivars through marker-assisted and genomic selection strategies (Niu et al., 2019). Moreover, SNP marker sets have been developed to allow for rapid identification and discrimination of region-specific varieties, empowering targeted breeding and conservation efforts (Li et al., 2023b; Shen et al., 2024). 7 Prospects and Strategies for Traditional Breeding in Modern Tea Cultivar Innovation 7.1 Trends in integrating technologies to enhance breeding efficiency and precision The integration of genomic selection (GS), genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and multi-omics with traditional breeding is now increasingly promoting breeding efficiency and accuracy. GS, indeed, has the ability to significantly accelerate genetic gain and shorten breeding cycles, even in low-input schemes, by enabling early and accurate selection of high-quality genotypes (Lubanga et al., 2022). New trends include the application of single-cellomics, pangenomics, and advanced bioinformatics for further optimizing trait selection and accelerating cultivar development (Li et al., 2023c). 7.2 Conservation and innovative utilization of traditional breeding germplasm banks Germplasm banks remain the foundation of tea breeding and provide the genetic diversity for both classical and molecular breeding. Advances in genomics and pangenome assembly have made characterization and utilization of the resources possible to identify new alleles and functional genes for utilization in targeted breeding (Chen et al., 2023a). Conservation strategies now target both the preservation and innovative use of many landraces and wild relatives toward sustainable breeding in the long term (Chen et al., 2023b; Li et al., 2023a). 7.3 Breeding strategies to address climate change and diversified market demands New breeding strategies are increasingly geared towards the development of climate-resilient, stress-tolerant cultivars to address the issues caused by climate change. Genomics-enabled breeding, transgenics technologies, and molecular markers are being used for enhancing resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and for catering to changing market demands for quality, specialty, and health-promoting tea products (Ranatunga, 2019; Li et al., 2023a; Ramakrishnan et al., 2023). Both traditional and molecular methods need to be combined for rapid adaptation to environmental changes as well as to consumer needs (Li et al., 2023b; Ramakrishnan et al., 2023). 7.4 Institutional and policy support for the integrated development of traditional and modern breeding Institutional collaboration and policy facilitating are key to effective integration of traditional and modern breeding. Interdisciplinary collaboration between breeders, geneticists, and biotechnologists, as well as research infrastructure investment and training, is needed to make technology adoption possible and innovation (Nivetha et al., 2024). Policy contexts need to enhance the preservation of genetic resources, allow for germplasm transfer, and support the use of sophisticated breeding technologies (Ranatunga, 2019). 8 Concluding Remarks Traditional breeding technology has laid the foundation for tea plant genetic improvement and contributed to the release of high-yielding, high-quality, and stress-resistant cultivars. The selective breeding method, hybridization, and clonal multiplication have been pivotal in the accumulation of elite genetic stock and enhancement of tea cultivars to meet different ecological niches and market requirements. Given the rapid progress of molecular breeding technologies, an urgent compounding of these technologies with traditional breeding methods is needed. Molecular tools like marker-assisted selection (MAS), genomic selection (GS), and gene editing can enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and scope of traditional breeding by enabling specific trait selection and functional gene discovery. A synergy combining phenotype-based selection and molecular data will overcome the limitations of each method individually.
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