Chengyang Long^1,2 , Wei Hua¹ , Jinghuan Zhu¹ , Min Fan¹

1 Institute of Crop and Nuclear Technology Utilization, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China
2 College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
Author    Correspondence author
Molecular Plant Breeding, 2024, Vol. 15, No. 6   
Received: 15 Nov., 2024    Accepted: 17 Dec., 2024    Published: 25 Dec., 2024

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Wheat diseases, particularly those caused by fungi, bacteria, and viruses, are one of the major threats to global food production. Advances in genomics have provided new opportunities for developing disease-resistant wheat varieties. By identifying resistance genes, quantitative trait loci (QTL), and utilizing gene-editing tools, breeders can accelerate the development of resistant varieties. This study reviews the latest progress in developing disease-resistant wheat using genomic approaches, with a focus on the application of genomic selection, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), gene editing, and multi-omics integration. These methods are crucial for improving wheat’s resistance to diseases. Research has shown that genomic selection and GWAS have been successfully applied in improving resistance to various wheat diseases, including leaf rust, stripe rust, and powdery mildew. Gene-editing technologies, such as CRISPR/Cas9, have enhanced wheat's disease resistance by targeting and editing resistance genes. The integration of multi-omics data provides new insights for precision breeding for disease resistance. Genomic approaches enable breeders to more accurately select disease-resistant wheat varieties, shorten the breeding cycle, and increase the durability of resistance genes. The application of genomic tools also helps to better understand wheat's response mechanisms to pathogens, thereby promoting global food security.

Genomic selection; Genome-wide association studies; Gene editing; Wheat disease resistance; Multi-omics integration