Breeding of Novel Potato/Sweet Potato/Cassava Cultivars and the Application of New Technologies

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Breeding and Genetics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 1005

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agriculture University, Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu 611130, China
Interests: potato breeding; quality breeding; stress tolerance

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: sweet potato breeding; quality breeding; disease resistance
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The three major tuber and root crops—potato (Solanum tuberosum), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), and cassava (Manihot esculenta)—are globally significant non-staple food sources. They are widely cultivated due to their high yield potential, substantial nutritional value, and tolerance to marginal growing conditions. As vegetatively propagated crops, their complex genetic backgrounds and inherent susceptibility to variation impose significant constraints on conventional breeding programs. These limitations manifest as pronounced varietal degeneration and senescence, coupled with protracted breeding cycles. Consequently, the application of modern biotechnology is imperative in developing novel cultivars exhibiting enhanced yield, superior quality, and adaptability to evolving demands in modern agriculture.

This Special Issue aims to explore newly developed potato/sweet potato/cassava cultivars, elucidate the genetic mechanisms underlying their high yield and superior quality, and introduce novel breeding techniques. The articles primarily emphasize the application of contemporary biotechnological approaches in potato/sweet potato/cassava breeding, with a focused examination of molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS), genome editing techniques, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), pangenomes, and so on. This Special Issue primarily solicits research articles addressing novel germplasm screening and the optimization and implementation of breeding techniques in potato/sweet potato/cassava, alongside comprehensive reviews summarizing recent advances in potato/sweet potato/cassava crop breeding research.      

Dr. Zhitong Ren
Prof. Dr. Hong Zhai
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • potato/sweet potato/cassava breeding
  • novel cultivars
  • genetic analysis
  • high yield
  • high quality
  • new technologies

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 4141 KB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification, Characterization and Expression Profiles of the CCD Gene Family in Potato
by Hai Shen, Qianyu Zhang, Ningjing Tang, Peihua Li, Kaimei Zhang, Zhangshuyi Wang, Xiaoting Fang, Chao Wu, Fang Wang, Xueli Huang, Cuiqin Yang, Hong Zhai, Shunlin Zheng and Zhitong Ren
Agronomy 2026, 16(2), 250; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16020250 - 20 Jan 2026
Viewed by 718
Abstract
Carotenoids are a class of C40 isoprenoid-derived fat-soluble pigments that play vital roles in plant physiology and human health and serve as precursors for several biologically critical regulatory molecules. Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs) are key enzymes that catalyze the selective oxidative cleavage of [...] Read more.
Carotenoids are a class of C40 isoprenoid-derived fat-soluble pigments that play vital roles in plant physiology and human health and serve as precursors for several biologically critical regulatory molecules. Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs) are key enzymes that catalyze the selective oxidative cleavage of carotenoids into apocarotenoids, thereby significantly influencing plant development and responses to abiotic stress. Although extensive research has been conducted on many model species, comprehensive studies on the StCCD gene family in potato remain limited. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide analysis to identify and characterize the CCD gene family in potato. Phylogenetic and structural analyses classified the 17 StCCD genes into six distinct subfamilies, which are distributed across five chromosomes of the genome. Analysis of cis-acting regulatory elements revealed that the promoters of most StCCD genes contain various elements associated with light responsiveness, stress signaling, and phytohormone regulation. Molecular docking analysis indicated that CCD proteins exhibit distinct substrate specificity in their binding to carotenoids and intermediate products. The expression profiling of StCCD genes uncovered pronounced specificity in their expression, which was evident across tissues, throughout tuber maturation, and following exposure to abiotic stresses and hormonal applications. This specificity strongly implicates these genes in the regulation of developmental processes and stress adaptation mechanisms. This study provides a comprehensive genomic and transcriptomic overview of the CCD gene family in potato, establishing a foundation for functional characterization of individual genes in the future. Full article
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