Breeding Forage and Bioenergy Grasses for Enhanced Productivity and Stress Resistance

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Grassland and Pasture Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 May 2026 | Viewed by 56

Special Issue Editor

Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
Interests: germplasm conservation; genetics and molecular biology; gene function; gene family; alfalfa; maize
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the face of a growing global population and increasing demand for food, feed, and energy, the development of forage and bioenergy grasses with enhanced productivity and stress resistance has become a crucial task for agricultural scientists and breeders. These grasses play a vital role in sustainable agriculture, providing high-quality forage for livestock, as well as a renewable source of energy through biomass production. However, they can face various environmental stresses, such as drought, heat, salinity, and diseases, which can significantly reduce their productivity and quality. To address these challenges, breeding programs for improving the genetic potential of forage and bioenergy grasses are urgently needed. This Special Issue, titled “Breeding Forage and Bioenergy Grasses for Enhanced Productivity and Stress Resistance,” will bring together the latest research and advancements in this field, highlighting innovative breeding strategies, genetic and genomic tools, and field evaluation methods that contribute to the development of superior grass varieties. We invite researchers, breeders, and practitioners to submit original research articles, review papers, and short communications on the following topics:

  • Genetic and Genomic Resources: Exploring and utilizing genetic diversity in forage and bioenergy grasses, as well as identifying key genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with productivity and stress resistance;
  • Breeding Strategies and Techniques: Conventional and modern breeding approaches, including hybridization, selection, marker-assisted breeding, and genome editing, as well as the development of breeding populations and germplasm with improved traits;
  • Phenotyping and Field Evaluation: High-throughput phenotyping platforms and methods for assessing productivity, biomass yield, forage quality, and stress tolerance in field conditions, as well as the establishment of field trials and experimental designs;
  • Stress Physiology and Adaptation Mechanisms: Understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying stress resistance in forage and bioenergy grasses, as well as elucidating plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses.

Dr. Chen Lin
Guest Editor

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

  • forage grasses
  • bioenergy grasses
  • breeding productivity
  • stress resistance
  • genetics
  • genomics
  • phenotyping

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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