Research Advances in CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Breeding of Herbicide-resistant Crops

Spread of weeds hinders the growth and yield of crops in the field. However, application of herbicides to control weed proliferation can ill-affect agricultural productivity as well, and at the same time, harm the environment. Hence, it is crucial for a modern society to resolve the issue and achieve sustainable and eco-friendly farming. Developing herbicide-resistant cultivars with appropriate management is seen as a practical approach. Currently, gene editing offers an effective and safe choice in breeding varieties tolerant to the commonly applied chemicals. This article reviews relevant publications to elucidate the principles of ZFN and TALEN as well as the CRISPR/Cas9 and base and prime editing that evolved from the original CRISPR/Cas system, highlights the applications of gene editing in breeding herbicide-resistant crops, discusses existing deficiencies, and presents the perspective of future development of the science.