抄録
Against the backdrop of intensified global climate change and increasing water scarcity, the development of water-saving and drought-resistant crop varieties has become a strategic task to ensure agricultural sustainability and food security. This paper systematically reviews the progress and integration pathways of gene editing and traditional breeding technologies for breeding water-saving, drought-resistant crops. First, it outlines the basic principles of mainstream gene editing technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9, TALEN, and ZFN, and highlights their key roles in functional analysis and precise improvement of drought-related genes. Second, it summarizes the typical achievements and limitations of traditional breeding methods, including hybrid breeding, mutation breeding, and marker-assisted selection, in the development of drought-tolerant and water-saving varieties. On this basis, the paper further discusses strategies and practical cases of synergistic application between the two categories of technologies, emphasizing their advantages in accelerating breeding cycles and improving genetic enhancement efficiency. Meanwhile, the field performance and adaptability of different water-saving and drought-resistant crop varieties under diverse ecological conditions are evaluated, with a particular focus on the supporting role of high-throughput phenomics and big data analysis in breeding decision-making. Finally, future research priorities are envisioned, including multi-gene synergistic editing, the construction of intelligent breeding platforms, interdisciplinary technology integration, and international scientific collaboration. This paper aims to provide theoretical foundations and technical support for the efficient breeding of water-saving and drought-resistant crops, thereby promoting agricultural green transformation and enhancing the resilience of global food systems.
