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: 15 November 2025 | Viewed by 28
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
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
- 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
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.
