A review of Genomic Breeding Strategies for Tomato Improvement: From Gene Editing to Hybrid Recovery

Tomato is a globally important crop, valued for its nutritional content, economic significance, and genetic diversity. Traditional breeding approaches have led to the development of high-yielding hybrids, yet challenges remain in stabilizing complex traits and reconstructing elite genotypes. Genomic breeding strategies particularly those integrating gene editing and reverse breeding offer transformative solutions for precision improvement in tomato. This review explores the synergistic application of CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing and reverse breeding to enhance trait stability and recover parental lines from elite hybrids. Targeted editing of meiotic recombination genes such as SPO۱۱, DMC۱, and MSH۵ enables suppression of crossover events, facilitating the generation of non-recombinant gametes. These gametes can be used to produce doubled haploid (DH) lines, which serve as genetically stable parental stocks. Advances in tissue culture, flow cytometry, and molecular marker technologies have further improved the efficiency of DH production and validation. Phenotypic assessments of DH-derived lines have demonstrated high fidelity to original hybrids in traits such as fruit quality, disease resistance, and shelf-life. Moreover, the integration of high-throughput phenotyping and machine learning accelerates the selection of superior genotypes. Despite these advances, challenges persist in genotype-dependent transformation efficiency, regulatory acceptance of genome-edited crops, and incomplete recombination suppression. The review highlights emerging innovations including genotype-independent transformation systems, RNAi-based recombination control, and AI-assisted breeding pipelines. These tools collectively support a robust framework for smart tomato breeding, tailored to meet the demands of climate resilience, nutritional enhancement, and sustainable agriculture. In conclusion, genomic breeding strategies combining gene editing and reverse breeding represent a powerful approach for tomato improvement. Their integration enables precise trait manipulation, hybrid recovery, and the development of resilient cultivars, positioning tomato breeding at the forefront of modern horticultural science.

کلیدواژه ها:

Genomic Breeding ، Doubled Haploids (DH)