Genome Editing and Opportunities for Trait Improvement in Pearl Millet

Pearl millet [Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone; also known as Pennisetum glaucum], originated 4900 years ago, is a C4 crop with high photosynthetic efficiency and fulfills the food and fodder needs of resource-poor farmers of sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Pearl millet is a climate-ready crop and grows well in poor and low-fertility soil. It is profoundly nutritious, fiber-rich, and non-glutinous. Based on transcriptome and bioinformatics studies, it is estimated that 1.79 Gb of the pearl millet genome consists of 38,579 genes. Unfortunately, functional genomics and genotype-phenotype association in pearl millet are poorly explored areas. Pearl millet suffers from low yield for many reasons. There is an urgent need to validate the functions of important genes to improve the crop and better utilize it for future agriculture in a changing climate scenario. In recent years, genome editing, especially CRISPR-Cas, has come under the spotlight for improving crop varieties. In this chapter, we discuss how the available genome editing tools can play a significant role in deciphering the functions of pearl millet genomic regions and crop improvement. We also highlight major bottlenecks to using genome editing in pearl millet and discuss possible ways to overcome those constraints.