# Biotechnological Strategies to Enhance Maize Resilience Under Climate Change

## TL;DR

This paper reviews biotech strategies to make maize more resilient to climate change by using gene editing, AI, and other advanced tools.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive roadmap integrating CRISPR, multi-omics, and AI for climate-resilient maize breeding.

## Key findings

- CRISPR/Cas9 and genomic selection are advancing understanding of stress-adaptive traits in maize.
- AI-driven phenotyping and nanoparticle-based gene delivery are accelerating breeding processes.
- Challenges include transformation efficiency, regulatory issues, and costs in resource-limited areas.

## Abstract

Maize is a cornerstone of global food security but faces escalating threats from climate change, including drought, heat waves, and unpredictable rainfall. This review highlights how cutting-edge biotechnologies are transforming maize breeding to meet these challenges. We explore the integration of CRISPR gene editing, genomic selection, and multi-omics approaches to develop climate-resilient varieties. Furthermore, we discuss enabling innovations such as AI-driven phenotyping and nanoparticle-mediated gene delivery that are accelerating the breeding process. By synthesizing these advances, this summary provides actionable insights for researchers and breeders striving to secure sustainable maize production in a changing world.

Maize (Zea mays L.), a vital crop for global food and economic security, faces intensifying biotic and abiotic stresses driven by climate change, including drought, heat, and erratic rainfall. This review synthesizes emerging biotechnology-driven strategies designed to enhance maize resilience under these shifting environmental conditions. We present an integrated framework that encompasses CRISPR/Cas9 and next-generation genome editing, Genomic Selection (GS), Environmental Genomic Selection (EGS), and multi-omics platforms—spanning transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and epigenomics. These approaches have significantly deepened our understanding of complex stress-adaptive traits and genotype-by-environment interactions, revealing precise targets for breeding climate-resilient cultivars. Furthermore, we highlight enabling technologies such as high-throughput phenotyping, artificial intelligence (AI), and nanoparticle-based gene delivery—including novel in planta and transformation-free protocols—that are accelerating translational breeding. Despite these technical breakthroughs, barriers such as genotype-dependent transformation efficiency, regulatory landscapes, and implementation costs in resource-limited settings remain. Bridging the gap between laboratory innovation and field deployment will require coordinated policy support and global collaboration. By integrating molecular breakthroughs with practical deployment strategies, this review offers a comprehensive roadmap for developing sustainable, climate-resilient maize varieties to meet future agricultural demands.