Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is a globally important sugar crop whose hybrid breeding system relies heavily on cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) lines. Recent advances in sugar beet genomics, particularly the release of high-quality reference genomes and the characterization of organellar genomes, have provided a foundation for elucidating the molecular genetic mechanisms of CMS. Furthermore, innovations in gene editing technologies are enabling transformative functional studies in this field. The precise targeting of CMS-associated mitochondrial genes and nuclear restorer-of-fertility genes not only allows for direct investigation of theoretical models governing fertility regulation through nuclear–cytoplasmic interactions but also holds promise for the targeted development of sterile and restorer lines. This review systematically summarizes progresses in sugar beet genomics, the development of gene editing tools, and the current understanding of the molecular genetics of CMS and fertility restoration in sugar beet. Although challenges remain—such as efficient delivery of editing tools into mitochondria and coordinated editing of multiple genes—the integration of genomic and gene editing technologies is expected to accelerate multi-omics-guided dissection of CMS mechanisms. These advances will facilitate the precise design of high-yield, high-sugar, and stress-resistant sugar beet hybrids, thereby providing core scientific and technological support for the sustainable development of the global sugar industry.

The genus Capsicum comprises several species that are vital vegetable and spice crops cultivated worldwide, possessing significant economic, nutritional, and ornamental value due to their diverse fruit morphologies, colors, spiciness levels, and stress resistance. Historically, the large genome size (approximately 3 Gb) and high proportion of repetitive sequences (over 80% transposable elements) have constrained in-depth analysis of structural variations and functional genes within Capsicum species. However, recent advances in long-read sequencing, Hi-C scaffolding, and genome assembly have enabled the production of multiple high-quality and telomere-to-telomere (T2T) Capsicum genomes, which have ushered in a new era of research at the nuclear, organellar, and pan-genome levels. The publication of these omics resources has greatly expanded our understanding of the evolution of agronomically and environmentally relevant traits in peppers and their wild relatives. This review systematically summarizes recent progress in reference genomes, pan-genomes, and organellar genomes of the genus Capsicum, highlighting the enhancement of key breeding trait analyses through omics data, and outlines future integrated breeding strategies to provide theoretical and methodological references for genetic improvement and molecular breeding in pepper.