Recent developments in multi-omics and breeding strategies for abiotic stress tolerance in maize (Zea mays L.)
Muhammad Qudrat Ullah Farooqi, Ghazala Nawaz, Shabir Hussain Wani, Jeet Ram Choudhary, Maneet Rana, Rameswar Prasad Sah, Muhammad Afzal, Zahra Zahra, Showkat Ahmad Ganie, Ali Razzaq, Vincent P. Reyes, Eman A. Mahmoud, Hosam O. Elansary, Tarek K. Zin El‐Abedin, Kadambot H. M. Siddique
Abstract
High-throughput sequencing technologies (HSTs) have revolutionized crop breeding. The advent of these technologies has enabled the identification of beneficial quantitative trait loci (QTL), genes, and alleles for crop improvement. Climate change have made a significant effect on the global maize yield. To date, the well-known omic approaches such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics are being incorporated in maize breeding studies. These approaches have identified novel biological markers that are being utilized for maize improvement against various abiotic stresses. This review discusses the current information on the morpho-physiological and molecular mechanism of abiotic stress tolerance in maize. The utilization of omics approaches to improve abiotic stress tolerance in maize is highlighted. As compared to single approach, the integration of multi-omics offers a great potential in addressing the challenges of abiotic stresses of maize productivity.