Rapid Generation Advance Methods to Fast-track Crop Breeding: A Review

Rapid generation advance is a collection of breeding tools for quicker development of homozygous lines from the segregating generations raised from a cross of two divergent parents. An array of techniques including single seed descent, speed breeding, shuttle breeding, doubled haploidy, marker assisted breeding and genomic selection were designed to achieve the maximum genetic gain through reducing the time required for development of such homozygous lines. In addition, utilization of genome editing in agronomically important crops further enhances the genetic advance to alleviate the food supply shortage. Therefore, utilization of these techniques could be more advantageous than the conventional breeding approaches in terms of speed and logistic support. Combination of these methods allows breeders to develop agronomically superior varieties in a very short period of time.