Engineering climate-resilient and high-quality oilseed crops: The role of genomics, gene editing, and epigenetics

Modern oilseed breeding faces the complex challenge of simultaneously improving yield, nutritional quality, and stress resilience within a sustainable agricultural framework. A predictive, systems-oriented strategy offers a solution by using predictive modeling and precise genetic intervention to engineer target ideotypes. This review synthesizes the integration of genomic selection (GS), genome editing, and epigenetic regulation to operationalize a precision breeding strategy in major oilseed crops. We document how GS, utilizing high-density SNP arrays and sequencing data, has reduced breeding cycles by up to 50% in soybean, enabling rapid selection for complex traits like seed protein content. We highlight the precision of CRISPR-Cas systems in executing design goals, such as creating commercial-grade high-oleic soybeans (>80% oleic acid) by knocking out FAD2 genes. Similarly, editing glucosinolate biosynthesis genes in rapeseed has directly improved meal quality. Furthermore, we explore the emerging role of epigenetic regulation as a tunable layer in trait optimization, where DNA methylation patterns in sunflower are linked to drought stress memory and flowering time. Finally, we present an integrated molecular framework, which synergizes these technologies to develop ideotypes with optimized architectures and composition. Despite challenges in phenotyping and global regulation, the strategic implementation of this molecular toolkit is pioneering a new era of precision breeding for the sustainable intensification of oilseed production.