PLANT CELL BIOTECHNOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Horticulture is a vital sector of agriculture that contributes significantly to global food security, nutrition, and economic development. However, the productivity and sustainability of horticultural crops are increasingly threatened by various biotic and abiotic stresses, including plant diseases, pests, climate change, and resource limitations. Conventional breeding approaches have made substantial progress in developing disease-resistant and high-yielding cultivars, but they are often time-consuming and limited by the available genetic diversity within the crop species. Recent advancements in biotechnology offer powerful tools to accelerate the breeding process and introduce novel traits into horticultural crops. This articleprovides an overview of the current status and future prospects of exploiting biotechnological tools to boost disease resistance and crop productivity in horticulture. It covers the application of marker-assisted selection, genetic engineering, genome editing, and other emerging technologies in major horticultural crops such as fruits, vegetables, and ornamentals. The articlealso discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with the deployment of these technologies, including regulatory issues, public acceptance, and the need for multidisciplinary collaboration. By harnessing the potential of biotechnology, we can develop more resilient and productive horticultural crops that contribute to food security, environmental sustainability, and socio-economic development.