From Phenotype to Gene: A Holistic Approach to Improving Crop Agronomic Traits
A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Breeding and Genetics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 822
Special Issue Editors
Interests: molecular breeding; disease-resistant breeding in maize
Interests: genomic-enhanced breeding; breeding tool development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Most agronomically important crop traits are quantitative in nature. These traits exhibit continuous variation due to polygenic control and complex genetic architectures, making their dissection at the population level particularly challenging. Recent breakthroughs in high-throughput phenomics, third-generation sequencing, and AI-driven analytics are revolutionizing our ability to study these traits. These technologies enable more precise quantitative trait dissection and predictive modeling, paving the way for data-driven molecular breeding strategies. As these tools continue to evolve, they will play an increasingly pivotal role in accelerating crop design breeding programs.
This Special Issue seeks to showcase cutting-edge strategies for high-throughput phenotyping, as well as the genetic dissection and genomic prediction of crop quantitative traits, with an emphasis on novel methodologies and their applications. In particular, we welcome papers on how high-throughput and time-series phenotyping technologies can improve trait measurement and how these data can be synergized with genomic approaches to identify the key loci governing quantitative traits. Ultimately, this knowledge can be translated into molecular design breeding strategies for trait enhancement.
We invite submissions in the form of original research, reviews, perspectives, and opinion articles on topics including, but not limited to, the following:
- Advanced phenotyping techniques for crop quantitative traits, including agronomic performance, stress resilience, and disease resistance.
- Genetic analysis and QTL mapping, such as combining ability analysis, QTL mapping, GWAS, and multi-omics integration.
- Breeding methodologies for trait improvement, including marker-assisted selection (MAS), genomic selection (GS), genomic–enviromic selection (GES), and gene editing applications.
By combining the fields of phenomics, genetics, and breeding, this Special Issue aims to advance the understanding and manipulation of complex traits for sustainable crop improvement.
Dr. Zifeng Guo
Dr. Hongwei Zhang
Guest Editors
Dr. Yinglun Li
Guest Editor Assistant
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. 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
- phenomics
- quantitative trait locus (QTL)
- genomic selection (GS)
- genomic-enviromic selection (GES)
- molecular design breeding
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.
