Innovative Breeding and Genomics Approaches to Enhance Grain Yield
A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Breeding and Genetics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: plant molecular biology; plant transformation technologies; genome editing
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Global agriculture is under unprecedented pressure to increase grain yield to meet rising food, feed, fiber, and bioenergy demands. Climate change, soil degradation, emerging pathogens, and shrinking arable land amplify the urgency to develop high-yielding, resilient crop varieties. Over the past two decades, rapid advances in genomics, plant transformation technologies, and genome editing have revolutionized our ability to dissect complex yield traits and accelerate crop improvement. Novel transformation systems, particularly tissue culture-independent methods and in planta genome editing, and the emergence of next-generation CRISPR tools now provide transformative opportunities for precise, efficient, and scalable crop enhancement. Despite these advancements, major gaps remain in understanding genotype-specific constraints, polygenic yield architecture, and how best to integrate these technologies into practical breeding pipelines.
This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research, conceptual advances, and technological innovations that enable significant improvements in grain yield across diverse crop species. We seek to highlight breakthroughs in plant breeding, plant transformation, and genome editing that push the boundaries of what is possible in modern crop improvement.
We especially welcome studies that leverage advanced genomic technologies and next-generation plant transformation tools, including tissue culture-free transformation, viral vectors, nanoparticle-mediated delivery, and genotype-independent editing platforms. Submissions utilizing state-of-the-art genome editing approaches, such as CRISPR/Cas base and prime editing, multiplex editing, and gene regulation systems, are particularly encouraged. We also seek innovative breeding methodologies that incorporate AI-driven breeding strategies, computational biology, and predictive modeling to accelerate and optimize grain yield improvement.
Dr. Can Baysal
Prof. Dr. Vicente Medina Piles
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. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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
- plant transformation
- genome editing
- genomics
- breeding innovation
- grain yield improvement
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