Integrated Quality Regulation in Horticultural Crops
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Horticultural Science and Ornamental Plants".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 12
Special Issue Editors
Interests: cultivation; fruit quality; bioactive compounds; resistant physiology; photosynthetic metabolism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The quality of horticultural crops, encompassing traits such as nutritional value, flavor profiles, visual appeal, and postharvest longevity, is of paramount importance for both consumer satisfaction and agricultural sustainability.
This Special Issue focuses on the multifaceted regulation of quality attributes through the integration of innovative cultivation strategies and cutting-edge molecular approaches. We welcome research exploring how agronomic practices—including environmental control, nutrient management, and precision irrigation—influence plant quality traits. Concurrently, investigations into molecular pathways, such as gene expression networks, phytohormone signaling, and epigenetic modifications that underlie quality formation, are highly encouraged. Studies leveraging omics technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics) combined with classical genetic approaches to dissect quality-related traits are particularly relevant. Additionally, research addressing the impacts of abiotic/biotic stress on quality, postharvest physiology, and the interplay between primary and secondary metabolism in regulating nutritional or sensory attributes is welcome.
By bridging cultivation techniques and molecular regulation, this Issue aims to advance our understanding of how to sustainably enhance horticultural crop quality. Contributions spanning original research, reviews, and perspectives that provide theoretical insights or practical applications in quality regulation are welcomed.
Dr. Bo Xiong
Prof. Dr. Zhihui Wang
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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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. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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
- horticultural crop quality
- postharvest longevity
- nutritional value
- flavor profiles
- visual appeal
- environmental control
- nutrient management
- precision irrigation
- gene expression networks
- phytohormone signaling
- epigenetic modifications
- abiotic stress
- biotic stress
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