A farmer wants to improve the drought resistance of a crop using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Which of the following statements best describes how CRISPR-Cas9 could be applied in this scenario?

CRISPR‑Cas9 lets a scientist cut a specific DNA sequence and then add, delete, or replace the gene at that spot. In a drought‑resistant crop, the farmer could target a gene that controls water‑use efficiency or stress signaling and edit it to boost the plant’s ability to conserve water. For example, the Cas9 enzyme could be guided to a drought‑sensing transcription factor, and the repair template could insert a stronger promoter so the gene is more active under dry conditions. After the edit, the plant would grow better in low‑water environments without needing chemical treatments. This precise genome editing speeds up breeding compared to traditional cross‑breeding methods.