Abstract
Global climate warming poses a severe challenge to agricultural production, with high temperatures, drought, and climate variability profoundly affecting crop growth cycles and productivity. Gene editing technology, exact tools such as CRISPR-Cas9, offers a revolutionary approach to regulating crop growth cycles and enhancing environmental adaptability. This paper systematically summarizes the development of gene editing technology and its applications in regulating the crop growth cycle, including the modulation of key traits such as flowering time, maturation time, photosynthetic efficiency, and water use efficiency. By precisely targeting key genes, researchers have successfully developed crop varieties with improved heat tolerance, drought resistance, and adaptability to variable climate conditions, laying a foundation for enhancing agricultural resilience and stability. Furthermore, this paper focuses on specific strategies and case studies of gene editing applications in addressing climate change while evaluating their potential impacts and limitations. Despite current challenges such as technical breakthroughs and ethical concerns, gene editing technology holds significant potential for ensuring food security and promoting sustainable agriculture. Future research should further optimize gene editing methods and explore crop varieties that are adapted to diverse environmental conditions, thereby providing innovative solutions and scientific support for combating global climate change. This paper aims to comprehensively assess the applications, practical implications, and prospects of gene editing technology in regulating crop growth cycles to address global climate change.
