Xia Li, Chen Xie, Lin Cheng, Hongning Tong, Ralph Bock, Qian Qian, Wenbin Zhou

Trends in Biotechnology; 2025; IF 14.3

DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2025.04.002

Abstract

In the middle of the last century, the Green Revolution dramatically increased crop yields and transformed global agriculture. As current food production is increasingly challenged by the demands of the growing population, climate change and environmental degradation, a new Green Revolution is urgently needed. This review highlights recent progress in defining the morphological ideotypes of four major crops, and proposes essential physiological traits critical for crop improvement and environmental adaption. We introduced two concepts: the ARCHITECTYPE representing optimized morphological features, and the PHYSIOTYPE encompassing improved physiological traits. By integrating these concepts through advanced genomic technologies and precision management practices, the next Green Revolution could potentially enhance crop yields and resource use efficiency by over 20-30%, thereby ensuring sustainable food production.