Can Epigenetics Guide the Production of Better Adapted Cultivars?

Abstract

As the global population continues to grow, food demand will be reaching levels which current agricultural practices cannot meet. This projected demand combined with the negative impacts of climate change on crop production calls for more careful breeding efforts to develop better adapted plants more tolerant to climate fluctuations. Fortunately, the development of molecular biology techniques like genome, transcriptome and epigenome sequencing now offer new approaches to help classical breeding meet these challenges. This review focuses on the potential of epigenetic approaches, particularly the creation of epigenetic markers (epi-markers) for guiding the selection process in breeding programs. Many studies have indeed successfully linked stable epigenetic modifications to different plant traits of interest but research on the applicability of using epi-markers in breeding programs is still scarce. This review emphasises the current progress that has been made with regards to the usefulness of epi-markers in selective plant breeding programs and the gaps in knowledge that still need to be addressed. It highlights the importance of pursuing research efforts to confirm the value of epi-markers for crop development in the years to come in order to meet the agricultural challenges of the 21st century.