Breeding Climate-resilient Oilseed Crops

Erratic weather patterns, temperature extremes, water scarcity, and emerging pests and diseases have pushed agriculture to stand at the forefront of the battle with climate change. This chapter delves into the imperative need to develop climate-resilient oilseed crops and explore the innovative breeding strategies including marker-assisted selection (MAS), genomic selection, CRISPR-based genome editing, etc. for sustainable crop production in the face of climate uncertainty, ensuring food security in a rapidly changing world. Enhancing genetic diversity and phenotypic plasticity in traits like root architecture, leaf morphology, photosynthetic efficiency, and stress-responsive physiology may enhance environmental tolerance in crops, as the environmental factors associated with climate change may hamper the outcomes of traditional breeding.