Plant breeders have been selecting upon naturally occurring genetic variation since the domestication of plants from wild populations.  Genetic variation for traits like yield, flavor, nutrient composition, disease resistance, and drought tolerance has enabled improvements in plants that have resulted in the high performing crops that humans are familiar with today.  Gene Editing techniques represent a new, diverse, and expanding set of tools that can be used to generate genetic variation, accelerate genetic gain, and further improve crops to accommodate the growing needs of humans as populations increase in the face of climate change.  Some of these tools, particularly genome editing technologies, can generate variation in a highly specific manner that is similar or identical to naturally occurring genetic variation.  In this talk we outline the need for these new technologies, the various techniques and potential applications, and regulatory considerations.

Genome editing: Technology for creating genetic variation in crop plants

256th National Meeting (2018)

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