Domestication and Genetic Improvement of New Crops

Dear Colleagues,

Agriculture is under strong pressure to produce food and raw materials in sustainable ways. De novo domestication may attend to economic and environmental requirements (i.e., water quality, wildlife habitat, soil quality, carbon sequestration, etc.) simultaneously.

The candidates must provide raw materials while possessing structural and functional traits correlated to sustainability, such as deep roots, stress tolerance, and perenniality. However, since yield is the driving force of domestication, other traits providing ecosystem services are neglected and may be lost as selection proceeds. Still, there is growing evidence that the harvest index can be enhanced without compromising processes relevant to maintaining the provision of ecosystem services.

Contributions to this Special Issue will consider case studies of successful alternative crop candidates, including breeding for traits associated with crop sustainability and ecosystem services, links between genetic improvement and plant eco-physiology, and reviews of the criteria and process of de novo domestication. The focus is on all perennial grains (sunflower, wheat, rice, etc.), other perennial new crops (such as jojoba, guayule, etc.) and annual new crops such as Guar, Crambe, Physaria, and industrial hemp, among other new sources of biomass, seed oil, rubber, resins, and gums.

Dr. Alejandra Vilela
Dr. Damian Ravetta
Dr. Luciana González-Paleo
Guest Editors

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