Next generation breeding in the omics era

Abstract

The last two centuries have seen the occurrence of several theoretical and scientific advancements that revolutionized plant science. From Mendel's intuitions to discovery of DNA toward up to the development of next generation sequencing technologies, it is nowadays possible to precisely investigate the genetic basis of traits of agricultural interest accelerating crop improvement. The availability of catalogues of thousands of genomic markers in many species, provides new opportunities to identify favourable allelic variants supporting genomic assisted breeding programs. In addition, the release of complete plant genomes sequences and the development of pangenomes make possible the identification of structural variants facilitating mining of favourable alleles. Beyond technological advancements, data integration is crucial for the comprehensive understanding of the biological processes underlying plant traits and their interactions with the environment. This perspective article illustrates how omics technologies can be used to tailor genomic tools for different breeders' needs to revolutionize crop improvement.