Mechanisms Underlying Cereal Grain Quality Formation and Strategies for Genetic Improvement
A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Genetics, Genomics and Breeding".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 February 2026 | Viewed by 207
Special Issue Editors
Interests: seed development; peptide signaling; endosperm and embryo development; endosperm cellularization; rice grain quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: rice (Oryza sativa, L.); starch biosynthesis and regulation; seed storage protein; protein trafficking; grain chalkiness; rice quality
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The quality of cereal grains is a critical determinant of their nutritional value, processing performance, and market acceptance. Over the decades, research into grain quality formation has evolved from descriptive analyses to the in-depth molecular and genetic dissection of underlying mechanisms. Advances in genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics have unraveled key regulators and networks involved in starch biosynthesis and regulation, protein accumulation, micronutrient enrichment, and anti-nutritional factors. Environmental influences and post-harvest processes further shape grain quality, adding complexity to breeding efforts.
This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the biological processes and molecular mechanisms that control cereal grain quality traits, while highlighting emerging tools and strategies for their genetic improvement. We seek to bridge fundamental discoveries with applied outcomes, fostering translational research that benefits breeding programs.
This Issue will feature cutting-edge studies on regulatory genes and networks controlling starch biosynthesis, protein body formation, lipid metabolism, and grain micronutrient homeostasis. It will also include insights into epigenetic regulation, hormone signaling, and interactions between grain development and environmental cues. Integrative approaches using CRISPR/Cas gene editing, multi-omics data integration, and high-throughput phenotyping are particularly encouraged.
We invite original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that explore mechanistic insights, functional validation, or translational strategies to improve grain quality in major cereals such as rice, wheat, maize, barley, and sorghum. Studies on underutilized cereals with unique quality traits are also welcome.
Prof. Dr. Chunming Liu
Prof. Dr. Yihua Wang
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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
- cereal grain quality
- starch biosynthesis, protein trafficking
- protein accumulation
- micronutrient enrichment
- environmental influence
- genome editing
- genetic improvement
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
