Trait Improvement of Solanaceae Fruit Crops for Vertical Farming by Genome Editing

Currently, science and technology are continuously evolving by convergence with each other. In agriculture, new concepts such as smart farm, vertical farming, and urban agriculture have emerged beyond the traditional form. Among the various types of smart farms, vertical farms are considered one of the most advanced forms of agriculture, and research and related industries are rapidly increasing. However, vertical farming has several limitations. The biggest problem is that the types of crops grown within this system are extremely limited. Industrially, only minimal crops are cultivated, and a significant number of many crops are rarely attempted due to cultural or economic limitations. This is especially the case with fruit crops because the innate form and various traits of fruit crops are not suitable for vertical farming. Therefore, this review will discuss the attributes of which fruit crops need to be improved to be grown on vertical farms. Finally, we show how the latest biotechnology and breeding techniques can enable the fast and accurate development of crops tailored to vertical farms.