Advances in Germplasm Innovation and Utilization of Tomato

Dear Colleagues,

Tomato is one of the most important vegetable crops globally, valued for its nutritional richness, economic significance, and role as a model system for plant genetics and breeding. Its cultivation supports food security, rural development, and the horticultural industry, with continuous demands for improved yield, quality, stress resistance, and adaptability to changing climates and production systems.

Germplasm resources serve as the foundation of tomato breeding and genetic research, encompassing wild relatives, landraces, elite cultivars, and genetically modified materials. These resources harbor abundant genetic diversity, critical for unlocking novel traits and addressing breeding challenges. The innovation and efficient utilization of tomato germplasm are pivotal to accelerating genetic gain, developing climate-resilient varieties, and promoting sustainable agriculture.

Recent advances in tomato germplasm research have been driven by technological breakthroughs, including distant hybridization, marker-assisted breeding, induced mutation, and gene editing. Significant progress has been made in germplasm collection and conservation, genetic diversity evaluation, identification of key trait-related genes, creation of new germplasm through hybridization and biotechnological approaches, and the application of innovative germplasm in commercial breeding. These developments have laid a solid foundation for addressing current and future challenges in tomato production.

This Special Issue aims to showcase cutting-edge research on tomato germplasm innovation and utilization. We invite submissions of original research articles and reviews covering, but not limited to, the following:

• Collection, conservation, and evaluation of tomato germplasm (including wild species and landraces).
• Development of new germplasm via hybridization, mutagenesis, gene editing, or transgenic technology.
• Genetic diversity and population structure analysis of tomato germplasm.
• Identification, cloning, and functional characterization of key genes related to agronomic traits.
• Utilization of germplasm in breeding for stress tolerance, quality, and yield.
• Germplasm resources sharing and utilization platforms.

We cordially invite researchers, breeders, and experts worldwide working in tomato germplasm and related fields to contribute their high-quality manuscripts. This Special Issue will provide a valuable platform for exchanging scientific ideas, showcasing innovative achievements, and promoting collaboration in advancing tomato germplasm research and application.

Prof. Dr. Yuyang Zhang
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Horticulturae 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 2200 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.