The increasing global population and climate variability have intensified the demand for sustainable food production, necessitating innovative approaches for crop improvement. Among modern biotechnological tools, proteomics has emerged as a powerful platform to study the complete set of proteins expressed under specific physiological conditions. Unlike genomics and transcriptomics, proteomics provides direct insight into functional molecules that regulate plant responses to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, heat, cold, waterlogging and toxic metal exposure. These stresses drastically reduce crop productivity by disrupting cellular homeostasis, metabolic pathways and signaling networks. Through advanced analytical techniques like mass spectrometry, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and isotopic labeling, proteomics enables the identification, quantification and characterization of stress-responsive proteins. Such information facilitates the discovery of biomarkers, validation of stress-associated genes and understanding of tolerance mechanisms. The integration of proteomic data into breeding and genetic engineering programs offers promising avenues for developing resilient, high-yielding crop varieties adaptable to changing environmental conditions.

To sustain global food security under the growing pressures of population expansion, economic development, and climate change, agricultural productivity must be enhanced through sustainable and innovative approaches. Genetic crop improvement integrating advances in molecular biology, biotechnology, genomics and plant physiology offers a powerful means to achieve this goal. However, the development of superior crop varieties often encounters the challenge of trait trade-offs, where the expression of one desirable characteristic can compromise another. In this context, microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, have emerged as precise and versatile molecular tools. Since their discovery in Caenorhabditis elegans in 1993, miRNAs have been recognized as master regulators influencing plant development, signal transduction, stress tolerance and disease resistance. Their ability to fine-tune gene expression without permanently altering genomic sequences makes them valuable targets for molecular breeding strategies aimed at achieving high yield, resilience and sustainability in crops.

Transcriptomics, the study of the complete set of RNA transcripts produced by the genome, has become a central tool in the post-genomic era for understanding gene expression and regulation. It provides critical insights into cellular functions, developmental processes and responses to environmental or physiological stimuli. Techniques such as microarrays and RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) have revolutionized transcriptome profiling by enabling comprehensive quantification of both coding and non-coding RNAs. These methods not only identify novel transcripts and splicing variants but also uncover expression patterns underlying disease mechanisms, stress tolerance and developmental regulation. Transcriptome data further support integrative analyses in systems biology, linking gene activity to protein networks and metabolic pathways. Thus, transcriptome analysis serves as a foundational approach for discovering biomarkers, functional genes and therapeutic targets, significantly advancing personalized medicine and crop improvement.