Jul 2026· Journal of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences· Vol 2, pp. 1-4· 0 citations· 31 references
Abstract
Agricultural systems are increasingly challenged by climate change, resource scarcity, environmental degradation, and the need to ensure food security for a growing global population. Addressing these multifaceted challenges requires innovative, science-driven approaches that enhance productivity while promoting ecological sustainability. This editorial examines the evolving role of plant biotechnology as a key driver of modern agricultural advancement, highlighting recent developments in genomics, multi-omics technologies, molecular breeding, genome editing, plant tissue culture, and digital agriculture. It discusses how these technologies contribute to the development of resilient crop varieties with improved tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, enhanced nutrient-use efficiency, and superior agronomic performance. The editorial further emphasizes the integration of artificial intelligence, high-throughput phenotyping, bioinformatics, and systems biology into precision crop improvement, enabling more efficient translation of molecular discoveries into field applications. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, responsible innovation, biosafety, and science-based regulatory frameworks is also considered in supporting the sustainable deployment of emerging biotechnologies. Looking ahead, the convergence of advanced molecular tools with computational and ecological sciences is expected to accelerate the development of resilient agricultural systems capable of addressing future environmental and food production challenges. Continued investment in research, technological innovation, and international collaboration will be essential to maximize the societal and environmental benefits of next-generation crop improvement strategies.
The agricultural production system is facing unprecedented pressure of climate change, human population, pressure on renewable and non-renewable resources, and elevation in both biotic and abiotic stress factors. The recent development in nucleic acid based technologies have transformed research in plant sciences through deployment of powerful technologies for understanding complex biological mechanisms controlling climate resilience, nutrition and yield attributes in agriculturally important crops. This editorial documented the key results of 33 articles published in this special issue, covering application of various techniques to improve desirable attributes in agriculturally important crops. Furthermore, the published literature displayed the key findings emerging through the application of CRISPR-Cas based genome editing system, integration of multi-omics, application of machine learning, RNA-based regulations and chloroplast bioengineering with higher precision, efficiency, and reliability. The innovation in plant-microbe interaction, rhizosphere engineering has revealed novel avenues of research for improving the potential of resource use efficiency and sustainability. Altogether, the research published in this special issue may play a transformative role in advancing precision breeding, stress resilience and crop performance under ever-changing climatic conditions. However, there is a requirement for continuous interdisciplinary research, embracing innovation and international collaboration for utilization of full potential of cutting-edge technologies contributing significantly to achieving food security.
S. Fiaz· International Journal of Bio...· 0 citations
Vegetable crops play an indispensable role in global food and nutritional security, yet their production is limited by many challenges. Biotechnology has revolutionised the improvement of vegetable crops worldwide through modern technologies such as genetic engineering, marker-assisted selection, CRISPR/Cas genome editing, tissue culture and molecular breeding, resulted in the development of climate-resilient, nutritionally enriched and highyielding cultivars that have helped to reshape the vegetable production system. Landmark achievements in plant biotechnology, namely virus-free planting material, multiple disease resistance, Bt brinjal, Flavr Savr tomato, Purple Tomato™, genome-edited GABA tomato and high anthocyanin/carotene content have revolutionised vegetable production systems globally. In addition, new intervention options such as biofortification, edible vaccines, RNA interference and biotechnology-based hybrid breeding are not only creating possibilities at the interface of agriculture and nutrition but also in public health. This status paper highlights recent advances, successful applications and emerging opportunities of biotechnology to strengthen vegetable production under changing climatic conditions.
Anjali, Akhilesh Sharma, D. Chaudhary et al.· Himachal journal of agricult...· 0 citations
Plant-growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) have emerged as important biological tools for improving plant nutrition, crop productivity, soil health, and resilience to environmental stresses, contributing to more resource-efficient agricultural systems. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in PGPM research, with particular emphasis on next-generation microbial technologies, including synthetic microbial communities, advanced bioformulations, omics-based approaches, precision agriculture, and their contribution to the circular bioeconomy. This review combines a narrative synthesis with a bibliometric analysis based on a dataset of 801 English-language articles and review papers retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection on 22 May 2026. Bibliometric mapping identified a rapidly expanding and increasingly interdisciplinary research landscape centered on microbial biostimulants, biofertilizers, circular economy, soil health, microbiome engineering, and climate-smart agriculture. This narrative synthesis highlights that advances in multi-omic technologies, microbiome research, and formulation strategies are improving our understanding of plant–microbe interactions and supporting the development of more targeted microbial products. At the same time, widespread agricultural implementation remains constrained by inconsistent field performance, limited ecological validation, formulation challenges, fragmented regulatory frameworks, and insufficient long-term biosafety assessments. Future research should prioritize long-term field validation across diverse agroecosystems, standardized efficacy and safety evaluation, integration of artificial intelligence with multi-omics datasets, development of ecologically reliable microbial consortia, and regulatory harmonization to facilitate responsible commercialization.
Danka Kiperović, Vera Karličić, Gordana Racić et al.· Agriculture· 0 citations
ABSTRACT Climate change, soil degradation, resource depletion, and excessive agrochemical use necessitate sustainable agricultural innovations. Nanobiotechnology has emerged as a transformative approach to enhance crop productivity, resource-use efficiency, and environmental sustainability. Over the past 15 years, extensive research has explored nanoparticle (NP) mediated approaches for improving plant growth and resilience. This review provides a comprehensive account of emerging nano-enabled technologies, including nanoregulators, nanofertilizers, nanopesticides, nanobiosensors (detection sensitivity nM to pM levels), and nanocarrier-assisted genome editing platforms. Beyond summarizing recent advances, the review critically examines the mechanistic basis of NP-mediated improvements in nutrient uptake (20–60%), seed germination, abiotic stress tolerance, disease management, pesticide resistance mitigation, genetic transformation, and tissue culture. The review identifies that nanoparticle efficacy is highly dose-dependent, with most laboratory studies reporting optimal plant responses at 10–50 mg L−1, highlighting the need for standardized field-scale dose optimization. The review also critically discusses nanotoxicological concerns, biosafety, regulatory frameworks, commercialization pathways highlighting the transition of nanobiotechnology from laboratory research toward practical agriculture. Model-based analysis suggests that high-efficiency nano-fertilizers (γ≈ 6) can achieve yields comparable to those obtained with 200 kg ha−1 of conventional fertilizer using only ~40 kg ha−1 of nano-fertilizer. The review further evaluates the commercialization status of nano-enabled agricultural products, highlighting the successful market deployment of formulations such as Nano Urea, Nano DAP, Nano Zinc, nanopesticides, nano seed coatings, and nanobiosensors. Finally, key scientific, regulatory, economic, and societal challenges are identified, and future priorities are proposed to facilitate the safe, scalable, and responsible deployment of nanobiotechnology for sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACTThe graphical abstract illustrates the diverse applications of nanobiotechnology in sustainable agriculture. It highlights the use of engineered nanoparticles and nanomaterials in precision nutrient delivery (nanofertilizers), targeted pest and disease management (nanopesticides), enhanced crop protection, stress tolerance, nanosensors for real-time monitoring of soil and plant health, and nano-enabled genetic engineering. These nanobiotechnological interventions improve nutrient use efficiency, increase crop productivity, reduce environmental pollution, and support climate-resilient, resource-efficient agricultural practices, thereby contributing to global food security and sustainable farming.Nanobiotech in Agriculture: Abiotic stress tolerance, essential nutrient uptake, disease control, genetic engineering and nanobiosensing.
Meenu Teotia, Nikhil Kumar, S. Verma· Communications in Soil Scien...· 0 citations
Sustainable crop development aims to maintain or increase yields while reducing environmental impact and managing the challenges imposed by climate change. As the global population grows and arable land becomes scarcer, the integration of molecular breeding with bioinformatics has emerged as an effective strategy for long-term crop improvement. Bioinformatics enables researchers to analyze and interpret the vast quantities of genetic data generated by high-throughput sequencing, making it possible to identify molecular markers, candidate genes, and regulatory networks linked to specific agronomic traits, which breeders then translate into focused, ecologically sustainable breeding programs. This approach has enabled major progress across several fronts: the identification of genes conferring resistance to biotic stressors (pests, pathogens) and abiotic stressors (drought, salinity, heat); the development of nutrient-efficient, low-input crop varieties; the improvement of agronomic performance and nutritional quality through identification of yield- and quality-related genes; and the conservation and deployment of genetic diversity to safeguard long-term breeding sustainability. By combining genomic data with precision breeding techniques, researchers are developing crops that are better adapted to a growing population and a changing climate, positioning the integration of molecular breeding and bioinformatics as a central pillar of future global food security.
Muhammad Shahid Iqbal, Z. Sarfraz, Muhammad Mujahid et al.· Frontiers in Plant Science· 0 citations
Microbial biotechnology provides sustainable approaches for improving agricultural productivity and supporting environmental remediation through the use of beneficial microorganisms and their metabolic functions. This review examines the roles of bacteria, fungi, archaea, algae and cyanobacteria in nutrient cycling, soil fertility improvement, plant growth promotion, biological nitrogen fixation, disease suppression and pollutant degradation. Microbial applications in agriculture include biofertilisers, plant growth-promoting microorganisms, biocontrol agents and stress-mitigation strategies that can reduce dependence on chemical inputs while supporting soil health and crop performance. In environmental management, microorganisms contribute to the biodegradation of organic pollutants, detoxification of pesticides and agrochemicals, heavy metal immobilisation or removal, wastewater treatment and plant-assisted remediation of contaminated ecosystems. The review also considers emerging technologies, including metagenomics, multi-omics approaches, synthetic biology, genome editing, artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, microbial consortia and microbiome engineering, which are improving the identification, characterisation and optimisation of microbial functions for targeted applications. These tools are increasingly relevant for precision agriculture, climate-smart farming and sustainable remediation because they allow microbial communities and functional traits to be assessed with greater resolution across diverse management contexts. Although these developments have expanded the practical scope of microbial biotechnology, several constraints continue to limit field-level adoption, including variable performance under natural conditions, ecological and biosafety concerns, regulatory complexity, product quality issues, economic barriers and limited stakeholder awareness. Overall, the manuscript highlights the relevance of microbial biotechnology for sustainable agriculture and environmental restoration while emphasising the need for interdisciplinary research, responsible implementation, supportive policies and improved translation of laboratory findings into reliable field applications.
Sarita Dubey, Vaishalee Thakur, Akanksha Sharma· Journal of Advances in Biolo...· 0 citations