Molecular Breeding for Wheat Disease Resistance
A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Genetics, Genomics and Breeding".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 October 2026 | Viewed by 1161
Special Issue Editor
Interests: resistance breeding; cereal breeding; organic breeding; MAS; detached-leaf technique; leaf pathogenes of wheat; host-pathogen interactions
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Wheat is the most important cereal crop of humankind, with the largest current cultivation area. The success of wheat cultivation can significantly influence the situation of plant growers and the national economy. The genetic yield potential of modern, currently cultivated wheat varieties is modified by several factors. However, wheat yields are significantly threatened by several pathogens, which cause an estimated 11.6% annual yield loss in global production. Breeding resistant varieties is the most economical and ecofriendly way to protect against plant diseases.
Advances in molecular breeding, genomics, and crop genetics offer powerful tools to enhance disease resistance. Techniques such as marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, and gene editing enable the precise identification and integration of resistance genes into elite cultivars. Understanding host–pathogen interactions at the molecular level also aids in pyramiding durable resistance genes. Integrating these approaches accelerates the breeding process and supports the development of resilient wheat varieties that can thrive under increasing biotic stresses.
This Special Issue highlights recent progress and future directions in molecular breeding for enhancing wheat disease resistance.
This Special Issue will aim to collect and share the results of developing wheat varieties with durable and broad-spectrum resistance to major fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases through molecular breeding techniques.
The scope of this field encompasses the identification and functional analysis of resistance genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs), the development and deployment of molecular markers, and the use of omics technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics) to better understand host–pathogen interactions. It also includes the strategic pyramiding of multiple resistance genes for durable protection and the ongoing surveillance of pathogen evolution to ensure long-term effectiveness.
Dr. Monika Cseplo
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- wheat disease resistance breeding
- wheat pathogens
- molecular markers
- genomic selection and prediction
- gene editing technologies
- eco-friendly and sustainable farming systems
- resistance genes
- omics technologies
- pathogen monitoring
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