Genetic and Molecular Mechanisms of Crop Resistance

Dear Colleagues,

Under global climate change, crops are adversely affected by a multitude of abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, extreme temperatures, nutrient deficiency, and heavy metals, and biotic stresses, including pests, pathogens, and other aggressors. These factors poses a serious multidimensional challenge to global agriculture and food-system sustainability. For example, crop yield losses worldwide are estimated to be as high as 41-50% depending on the crop.

Crop resistance refers to the ability of different crops, including rice, wheat, maize, soybean, and other legumes, to overcome the effects of abiotic and biotic stress and achieve high crop productivity and sustainability. Obtaining insights into the genetic and molecular mechanisms involved in crop resistance would aid in the mitigation of the effects of climate change and in the development of climate-resilient crops. In recent decades, myriad studies have focused on genetic and molecular mechanisms of crop resistance; however, further investigations are still required for improving crop resilience and genetic breeding to address climate change.

The aim of this Special Issue is to spotlight advances in the molecular mechanisms of crop resistance and smart breeding technologies by synthesizing multidisciplinary studies, including those employing multi-omics integrated with artificial intelligence, genomic selection, genetic breeding, and physiological, genetic, biochemical, and molecular techniques, among others.

Dr. Quanle Xu
Guest Editor

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