Neglected and Underutilised Legumes and Grasses for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security
A Special Issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747) belonging to the section "Crop Physiology and Crop Production".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1513
Editors
Interests: plant stress physiology; legume; plant-microbe interactions; nitrogen nutrition
Interests: soil microorganisms; nutrient cycling; land restoration; plant growth promoters; germination ecology; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The global over-reliance on staple grains has inadvertently marginalised Neglected and Underutilised Species (NUS), limiting their availability and contribution to sustainable food systems. Neglected and Underutilised Species represent an understudied resource with the potential to transform sustainable agriculture, improve nutrition security, and strengthen food security. Legumes and grasses classified as neglected and underutilised species have demonstrated strong adaptability across a wide range of challenging environmental conditions. This inherent resilience positions them as essential tools for climate change adaptation, mitigation, and the development of resilient food systems.
Food production is expected to increase by 60% by 2050 to meet global demand, underscoring the urgent need for the integration of NUS into food production systems to diversify agricultural outputs and build resilience against the growing challenges posed by climate change. This Special Issue aligns with global and regional frameworks, including United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2, which aims to end hunger, improve food security, and promote sustainable agriculture, as well as the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions healthy and nourished populations across the continent.
By exploring neglected and underutilised legumes and grasses, this issue aims to highlight their role in sustainable agriculture and food security, fostering renewed interest and investment in these vital yet overlooked species. Embracing the potential of neglected and underutilised legumes and grasses can pave the way for more resilient, diversified, and equitable food systems for the future.
Prof. Dr. Anathi Magadlela
Prof. Dr. María Pérez-Fernández
Guest Editors
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-anonymized 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
- neglected and underutilised species
- climate change adaptation
- sustainable agriculture
- legumes
- grasses
- food security
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