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Molecular Breeding and Comprehensive Utilization of Economic Crops

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2026 | Viewed by 243

Editor


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Guest Editor
Zhejiang Xiaoshan Institute of Cotton & Bast Fiber Crops, Zhejiang Institute of Landscape Plants and Flowers, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 311251, China
Interests: economic crops; stress physiology; abiotic stress; breeding

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As an important pillar of the regional agricultural economy, the development status and technological improvement of characteristic economic crops are increasingly receiving attention. Economic crops such as flax, kenaf, jute, and industrial hemp not only carry traditional planting values, but also demonstrate significant potential for extending the industrial chain in fields such as medicine, textiles, and food processing. However, compared with major crops such as rice and wheat, the research progress on these crops still lags behind, especially in the development of stress-resistant, high-yielding, and high-quality new varieties; modern cultivation techniques; and comprehensive product utilization systems. Despite significant breakthroughs in biological breeding, cultivation management, and product processing technologies in major crops over the past few decades, the innovation and application gap in the field of phloem fiber crops remains prominent.

It is crucial to understand the potential mechanisms and accelerate key technological innovation in order to promote technological research into and industrial upgrading of bast fiber crops, and effectively support the optimization of regional economic structures and rural revitalization strategies. The studies in this Special Issue will provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for the breeding of new varieties, efficient cultivation, improvements in stress resistance, and deep processing.

We welcome submissions of original research papers and review articles. The themes of this collection include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Breeding strategies for high-quality stress-resistant new varieties of bast fiber crops;
  2. Efficient cultivation modes and modern production management technologies;
  3. Molecular mechanisms of response of phloem fiber crops to biotic and abiotic stress;
  4. Research on plant protection and comprehensive prevention and control of pests and diseases;
  5. Product deep processing technology and industrial chain extension paths.

Dr. Xia An
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • jute
  • kenaf
  • flax
  • okra
  • mustard
  • roselle
  • chloroplast genome
  • transcriptome
  • gene cloning
  • gene function verification
  • molecular mechanism research
  • biological stress
  • abiotic stress

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 3953 KB  
Article
Two Species of Wild Long-Fruited Jute (Corchorus olitorius) Characterization and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Complete Chloroplast Genomes
by Xingcai An, Guanghui Du, Junyuan Dong and Xia An
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(12), 5527; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27125527 (registering DOI) - 18 Jun 2026
Abstract
Jute (Corchorus spp.) is the most important bast fiber crop, providing raw materials for textiles, bio-composites, and papermaking. This study analyzed the chloroplast genomes of two wild long-fruited jute species: Qiaojianyehuangma (QJYHM) and Maliyehuangma (MLYHM). The chloroplast genomes exhibited typical circular quadripartite [...] Read more.
Jute (Corchorus spp.) is the most important bast fiber crop, providing raw materials for textiles, bio-composites, and papermaking. This study analyzed the chloroplast genomes of two wild long-fruited jute species: Qiaojianyehuangma (QJYHM) and Maliyehuangma (MLYHM). The chloroplast genomes exhibited typical circular quadripartite structures (LSC, SSC, IRa/IRb), containing 129 genes (37 tRNA, 8 rRNA, 84 mRNA). Overall GC content was 36.76%, indicating high genetic conservation. Compared with cultivated varieties, wild varieties exhibit differences in LSC region length, IR boundary positions, and repetitive sequences, reflecting minor sequence variations in the chloroplast genome that occurred during domestication. Codon preference analysis showed both wild species favor A/U-ending synonymous codons, with a strong preference for methionine’s AUG codon. Repetitive sequence analysis revealed 280 and 252 dispersed repeats in Qiaojianyehuangma and Maliyehuangma, respectively, primarily mononucleotide SSRs. Based on Ka/Ks analysis, it was discovered that most chloroplast genes were under purifying selection. In contrast, positive selection signals were detected in rpl23, ycf1, and ycf2, implying their involvement in adaptive evolution. We identified 161 polymorphic sites (97 SNPs, 64 InDels), with ycf1 as a mutation hotspot. Phylogenetic analysis clustered both wild species with Corchorus capsularis with a 100% bootstrap value, forming a well-supported sister group. This study provides basic chloroplast genome data for two wild Corchorus olitorius accessions, revealing their conserved genomic features and minor sequence variations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Breeding and Comprehensive Utilization of Economic Crops)
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