Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Plants

Dear Colleagues,

At present, the global community faces the formidable challenges of population growth, food insecurity, and the pervasive impacts of climate change. The latter phenomenon poses a substantial threat to global food security by impeding food production through disruptions in cropping patterns and diminishing crop resilience to both biotic and abiotic stresses. Research widely advocates plant breeding as a pivotal strategy in addressing these challenges. Nonetheless, it is universally acknowledged that plant breeding also contributes to genetic erosion. Consequently, extant food cultivars exhibit suboptimal performance under unprecedented climatic conditions, primarily due to a genetic bottleneck. To address these complex issues, there is an urgent need to harness plant diversity.

The collection, preservation, and characterization of plant genetic resources represent a valid strategy, as it facilitates the exploration of genotypic and phenotypic diversities that are potentially beneficial for breeding endeavors. The limited genetic diversity inherent in our agricultural crops can be expanded by integrating landraces, wild progenitors of cultivated species, as well as underutilized and neglected plant species. Assessing the genetic diversity and population structure of available genetic resources represents a starting point and a crucial topic for crop improvement and food security, allowing their evolution and adaptation to diverse environments to be understood and useful traits for disease resistance and environmental stress tolerance, as well as higher nutitional quality, to be identified. Additionally, such analyses are essential for developing effective conservation strategies and managing genetic resources.

This Special Issue aims to underscore the significance of plant biodiversity and genetic resources in fostering sustainable agricultural production systems. We invite submissions of short communications, original research articles, reviews, and modeling methodologies addressing various aspects of plant genetic diversity, including its utilization in breeding programs, its characterization using omics and biotechnological technologies, and advanced approaches used for its in situ and ex situ conservation.

Dr. Mario Ciaffi
Dr. Enrica Alicandri
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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