Genetic and Breeding Improvement of Horticultural Crops

Dear Colleagues,

Horticultural crops represent an essential group of plant species that provide food, nutrition, and economic value worldwide. Despite their importance, significant variation exists in yield, quality, and stress resilience among different species and cultivars. These differences arise from diverse genetic backgrounds, environmental conditions, and cultivation practices. Such variability emphasizes the need to strengthen genomic research and breeding innovation to accelerate the improvement of horticultural crops.

This Special Issue, titled “Genetic and Breeding Improvement of Horticultural Crops,” aims to showcase cutting-edge studies, approaches, and technologies that deepen our understanding of horticultural crop genetics, their evolution, and functional biology. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: chloroplast, mitochondrial, and nuclear genome analyses; gene family evolution and functional diversification; gene function studies using multi-omics and genome editing; molecular mechanisms underlying development, metabolism, and stress adaptation; and advanced breeding strategies such as molecular breeding, marker-assisted selection, and genomic selection for the creation of high-yielding, high-quality, and stress-tolerant horticultural cultivars.

Prof. Dr. Zhiqiang Wu
Dr. Xiaoni Zhang
Guest Editors

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