Research on Secondary Metabolites in Agricultural Plants
A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Production".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 63
Special Issue Editors
Interests: secondary metabolites; phenolics; alkaloids; terpenoids; flavonoids; metabolomics; crop resilience
Interests: biofortification; secondary metabolites; metabolomics; genomics; plant defense; biotechnology
Interests: nanotechnology; environmental and agricultural sustainability; emerging contaminants; soil and plant health; environmental health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In the face of growing global challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, and rising demand for healthier diets, the search for resilient and nutritionally enhanced crops has never been more urgent. Unlocking the potential of plant secondary metabolites stands at the forefront of this pursuit, offering novel solutions for sustainable agriculture and improved human health. Secondary metabolites are essential components of plant physiology, influencing defense mechanisms, stress tolerance, and ecological interactions. These compounds, such as phenolics, alkaloids, terpenoids, and flavonoids, play a critical role in improving crop resilience and enhancing nutritional and medicinal properties. Advances in metabolomics, molecular biology, and biotechnology have provided new insights into the biosynthesis, regulation, and functional roles of these metabolites in agricultural systems. This Special Issue invites original research articles, reviews, and short communications focusing on the diversity, biosynthetic pathways, and ecological significance of secondary metabolites in crops. Topics include stress-induced metabolite production, genetic and molecular regulation, metabolite-based pest and disease management, postharvest quality improvement, and strategies for enhancing metabolite content through breeding, biotechnological approaches, and biofortification. Studies addressing health-promoting properties and sustainable agricultural practices are also welcome. Contributions should provide innovative perspectives on how secondary metabolites can be harnessed for crop improvement and sustainability.
Dr. Laura E. Carson
Dr. Addisie Geremew
Prof. Dr. Xingmao Ma
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- secondary metabolites
- phenolics
- alkaloids
- terpenoids
- flavonoids
- metabolomics
- crop resilience
- plant defense
- sustainable agriculture
- biotechnological enhancement
- biofortification
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