Modern Biotechnologies for Oilseeds Crop Improvement

Dear Colleagues,

Oilseed crops are those in which the oil produced by the seeds makes a significant contribution to the economic value of the crop. This includes crops such as soybean, the group of brassicas (rapeseed, canola, mustards), sunflower, groundnut, cottonseed, maize, linseed, sesame, safflower, castor, and other minor crops. Human population growth coupled with the improvement in the standard of living has led to a continuous increase in seed oil production, from around 12 Mt in the early 1960s to more than 100 Mt at present. This trend is expected to continue in the next years, which will require adopting efficient breeding strategies for not only improving crop productivity, but also crop quality and sustainability. In this sense, modern biotechnologies such as omics technologies, genetic and genome engineering, gene- and genomic-assisted breeding, bioinformatics, and other biotechnological applications derived from synthetic biology are called to play a major role in the genetic improvement of oilseed crops.

This Special Issue will cover methodological and applied research on the development and use of modern biotechnologies for oilseed crops improvement, with emphasis on their potential impact on crop productivity, crop quality, and sustainable production.

Dr. Leonardo Velasco
Guest Editor

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