Abstract

Improving the resource-use efficiency (RUE) is a corner stone to develop sustainable and climate resilient crops. This review is a synthesis of the physiological and genetic basis of nitrogen (NUE), phosphorus (PUE) and water use efficiency (WUE) as well as strategies for optimizing photosynthesis. We describe the important roles played by nutrient remobilization, root system architecture, stomata regulation and osmotic adjustment. The paper goes on to discuss higher-order genetic manipulation, such as the use of transgenic approaches and precision genome editing techniques such as multiplexing, base and prime editing, in the engineering of key transporters, transcription factors (e.g. Dof1, PHR1, DREB), and hormonal pathways, in order to deconstruct these complex traits. We highlight the need to combine these improved genotypes with sustainable management practices such as precision agriculture and agro ecology and show their synergistic potential to minimize environmental footprints through Life Cycle Assessment. Finally, we discuss the ongoing challenges in genotype-by-environment interactions and regulatory issues and call for future research focusing on predictive breeding using integrated pan-genomics, phonemics’ and machine learning for accelerating the breeding of the next-generation, resource-efficient crops.