Research in: Agricultural & Veterinary Sciences

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a critical global crop sustaining over half of the human population, yet its production is severely threatened by pathogens such as Magnaporthe oryzae (rice blast) and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (bacterial blight). Conventional breeding and chemical treatments are often limited by time constraints, potential yield penalties and environmental concerns. Consequently, genome editing has emerged as a precise, sustainable alternative for crop improvement. This review highlights recent advancements in utilizing the CRISPR/Cas9 system to engineer disease-resistant rice lines without compromising essential agronomic traits. Specifically, we compared how targeting genetic susceptibility factors - such as modifying the effector-binding elements of OsSWEET11, OsSWEET13 and OsSWEET14 promoters - confers broad-spectrum resistance against bacterial blight. Furthermore, we discuss how disrupting key negative regulators or structural genes, including OsERF922, Pi21 and OsSEC3A, effectively enhances immunity against rice blast. Ultimately, orchestrating these precise genomic modifications provides a powerful strategy to decouple disease defense from yield loss, offering critical solutions for global food security.