Xuanjun Fang , Qixue Liang

Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources (HITAR), Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
Molecular Plant Breeding, 2026, Vol. 17, No. 1   
Received: 11 Dec., 2025    Accepted: 10 Jan., 2026    Published: 16 Jan., 2026

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.

With the integration of molecular breeding techniques and digital platforms, the global breeding ecosystem is undergoing a fundamental shift-from fragmented outsourcing services to platform-based, intelligent collaboration. As a critical interface connecting research institutions, enterprises, and regulators, breeding CROs (Contract Research Organizations) are evolving from experimental executors into integrated service hubs characterized by standardization, regulatory compliance, and AI-enabled intelligence. This paper proposes a triadic capability framework encompassing standardized workflows, full-spectrum compliance governance, and intelligent system integration. It diagnoses structural challenges such as the lack of service standards, regulatory mismatch, data fragmentation, and shallow application of AI tools. Furthermore, the study outlines actionable strategies for platform development, including modular SOP libraries, embedded compliance pipelines, data-driven AI middle platforms, and collaborative visualization dashboards. The paper concludes by envisioning an AI-powered transformation of breeding services and recommends advancing institutional pilots, platform certification standards, and AI governance mechanisms to establish CROs as credible, intelligent, and open infrastructure in global breeding innovation.

Breeding CRO; Standardized services; Intelligent platform; Regulatory compliance; Artificial intelligence; Data interoperability; Digital breeding infrastructure