Genetic and Molecular Mechanisms of Crop Resistance
A special issue of Genes (ISSN 2073-4425). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Genetics and Genomics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 6
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
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
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. Genes 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
- abiotic and biotic stress
- crop resilience
- molecular mechanism
- molecular breeding
- resilient crops
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.