Crop Breeding and Genetics
A section of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395).
Section Information
Crop breeding has an impressive record in lifting agricultural productivity and encompasses a broad range of technologies and capabilities. However, productivity is facing major political, sociological and environmental challenges and in many regions of the world productivity growth is stagnating. In recent years, we have seen a major expansion in our ability to manage and interpret data, in the throughput and accuracy of phenotyping methods and in our utilisation of information on gene and genome structure and function. These advances have opened new opportunities to accelerate the rates of genetic gain that can be achieved in plant breeding programs and are playing major roles in addressing future food security demands. In this section we seek to support the crop improvement community by publishing articles that cover the full breadth of innovations around genetics and breeding. This includes:
- Breeding strategies and methodologies
- Phenotyping technologies
- Advances in the trait and data analysis in both controlled and field environments
- Analysis and use of genetic diversity
- The genetic analysis of major traits
- Analysis of gene structure and function
- Development and utilisation of genomics technologies
Editorial Board
Topical Advisory Panel
Special Issues
Following special issues within this section are currently open for submissions:
- Evaluation of Germplasm Resources, Molecular Breeding, and Utilization in Soybean (Deadline: 15 July 2026)
- Precision Functional Genomics for Cereal Crop Development (Deadline: 15 July 2026)
- Resistance-Related Gene Mining and Genetic Improvement in Crops—2nd Edition (Deadline: 25 July 2026)
- Omics Approaches for Crop Improvement—Volume II (Deadline: 30 July 2026)
- Genetics and Breeding of Field Crops in the 21st Century—2nd Edition (Deadline: 31 July 2026)
- Advances in Genetics of Pollination Mechanism and Fruit Development of Horticultural Crops (Deadline: 31 July 2026)
- Evolutionary Mechanisms and Molecular Regulatory Networks of Plant Breeding Systems (Deadline: 31 July 2026)
- Identification and Breeding of High-Quality, Disease-Resistance and High-Producing Varieties (Deadline: 20 August 2026)
- Innovations and Prospects for Future Agriculture: Applications of Machine Learning and AI in Crop Breeding (Deadline: 20 August 2026)
- Advances in Crop Molecular Breeding and Genetics—2nd Edition (Deadline: 20 August 2026)
- Genome Stability and Regulation in Polyploid and Hybrid Crops (Deadline: 25 August 2026)
- Innovative Breeding and Genomics Approaches to Enhance Grain Yield (Deadline: 31 August 2026)
- Recent Advances in Genomics, Genetic Resources Evaluation and Breeding of Rice (Deadline: 31 August 2026)
- Next-Generation Soybean: Integrating Omics with Crop Performance (Deadline: 31 August 2026)
- Advancing Genomic Prediction: Statistical Models for Crop Breeding and G×E Optimization (Deadline: 31 August 2026)
- Germplasm Conservation and Genetic Improvement in Tropical and Subtropical Crops (Deadline: 15 September 2026)
- Genetic Architecture of Kernel Development in Cereal Crops (Deadline: 25 September 2026)
- Utilizing Genetic Resources for Agronomic Traits Improvement: 3rd Edition (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Mechanisms of Light Response and Morphogenesis in Plants (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding of Soybeans—2nd Edition (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Exploration of Aneuploidy and Polyploidy in the Evolution of Horticultural Crops and Crop Wild Relatives (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Oilseed Crop Improvement: Breeding for Enhanced Resistance and Quality (Deadline: 1 October 2026)
- Genetically Modified (GM) Crops and Pests Management (Deadline: 20 October 2026)
- Molecular Breeding and Quality Improvement in Nut Tree Species (Deadline: 25 October 2026)
- Redesigning Crop Genomes: Innovative Strategies for Disease Management in Cucurbits (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Broadening the Genetic Base of Climate-Smart Pea (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Development and Utilization of Maize Germplasm Resources (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Plant Genome Editing: Innovations, Applications, and Challenges (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Beyond Survival: Engineering Crops for Extreme Climate Adaptation (Deadline: 3 November 2026)
- Bringing Diversity to Farming Systems by Exploring the Potential of Legumes (Deadline: 15 November 2026)
- Breakthrough and Innovation of Mutants in Genetic Improvement of Crop Varieties (Deadline: 15 November 2026)
- Progress and Innovations in Breeding Objectives and Technologies for Solanaceae Crops Production—2nd Edition (Deadline: 16 November 2026)
- Epigenetic Mechanisms in Crop Response to Diverse Pathogens (Deadline: 20 November 2026)
- Genotype × Environment Interactions in Crop Production—2nd Edition (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Improvement of Beverage Crops (Tea, Coffee, Wine, etc.,) Through Breeding and Cultivation Management (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Advances in Crops Genome Evolution and Phylogenomics (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Precision Assistance for Crop Genetic Improvement: Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (Deadline: 20 December 2026)
- Brassica Crop Breeding: Genetic Insights and Applications (Deadline: 30 December 2026)
- Reproductive Biology for Improving Crop Yield and Breeding Efficiency (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Epigenetic Regulation in Solanaceae Crops (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Breeding of Novel Potato/Sweet Potato/Cassava Cultivars and the Application of New Technologies (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Integrative Genomics, Molecular Markers, and Breeding Strategies in Rice (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Molecular and Physiological Insights into Crop Growth Regulation (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Genotype × Environment Interactions in Legume and Fiber Crop Breeding (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Cellular Signaling Networks in Crop Stress Responses: From Molecular Mechanisms to Field Performance (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Prospects for Genetic Improvement of Cucurbitaceous Crops (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Functional Characterization of Stress-Resistance Regulators in Maize (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Genome-Wide Association Studies and Breeding by Design for Complex Traits in Diverse Environments (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Physiology and Genetic Innovation in Economic Crops (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Unlocking the Code to Crop Stress Resistance: Genetic Improvement Opens a New Chapter in Agriculture (Deadline: 30 January 2027)
- Advances in the Development and Utilization of Legume Germplasm (Deadline: 31 January 2027)
- Plant Tissue Culture and Regeneration Techniques for Crop Enhancement (Deadline: 31 January 2027)
- Advancements in Genetic Research and Breeding of Sugar Crops (Deadline: 31 January 2027)
- Sustainable Breeding for Disease Resistance in Soybean and Other Legume Crops (Deadline: 28 February 2027)
Topical Collections
Following topical collections within this section are currently open for submissions: