From Domestication to Gene Editing: How Biotechnological Innovations are redefining the Resilience, Quality, and Sustainability of Horticultural Crops in a Changing Climate

¹ Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Agriculture Institute, Research Institute of Zabol, Zabol, Iran; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
² Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha 65779, Saudi Arabia; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
³ Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Science City of Muñoz, Central Luzon State University, Nueva Ecija, Philippines; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

^* Corresponding Author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Horticultural crops, vital for nutrition and economic stability, face escalating threats from climate change, population growth, and resource scarcity. This article examines how biotechnological innovations have transformed horticultural breeding, moving from empirical selection to precise genome editing, to create climate-resilient, high-value production systems. It has been conducted a systematic historical analysis of breeding methods from domestication (8000 BCE) to 2026. This involved synthesizing peer-reviewed advancements in marker-assisted selection (MAS), genomic selection (GS), CRISPR/Cas9, base editing, and multi-omics integration across fruit, vegetable, and ornamental species. While conventional breeding, through hybridization and mutation, achieved annual yield gains of 1–2% for major crops, modern molecular techniques have accelerated genetic gain by 3–5 fold. MAS and GS have facilitated the rapid introgression of polygenic stress tolerance loci, cutting breeding cycles from 10–15 years to just 3–5 years. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockouts of negative regulators (SlHyPRP1, SlDEA1) have boosted combined drought-salinity tolerance in tomato by 40–60% while maintaining yield. Furthermore, multiplex base editing has enabled the simultaneous targeting of 3–5 loci that regulate shelf life, disease resistance, and nutrient density. The integration of speed breeding (six generations annually) with genomic selection has also reduced variety development timelines by 70%. Significantly, 78% of new horticultural varieties released in 2025 incorporated at least one biotechnological intervention. These precision breeding technologies are crucial for developing climate-smart horticultural systems that offer enhanced productivity, quality, and resilience.