Genetic Approaches to Enhancing Disease Resistance in Crops
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 615
Special Issue Editors
Interests: plant molecular biology; host-pathogen interaction; sunflower genetics and genomics; sunflower disease resistance; sunflower senescence
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: plant molecular cell biology; plant chromosome; wheat genetics; wheat breeding; genomic evolution; chromosome engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Genetic approaches to enhancing disease resistance in crops represent a critical area of research in improving global food security. Plant diseases, caused by a wide variety of pathogens including fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes, continue to pose significant threats to crop yield and quality. Traditional breeding methods have been foundational in improving disease resistance in crops; however, they are increasingly being supplemented and enhanced through modern genetic tools and technologies.
Recent advances in molecular biology, high-throughput genotyping and phenotyping, functional genomics, and genome editing techniques, such as CRISPR-Cas9, have opened up new avenues for understanding and manipulating disease resistance at the genetic level. The identification and characterization of resistance genes, coupled with high-throughput genomic tools, can enable more precise and efficient breeding strategies. In addition, the exploration of plants’ wild relatives and the development of genetically diverse germplasms are essential in introducing novel resistance traits into cultivated crops.
This Special Issue will explore the latest advancements in genetic approaches to disease resistance, focusing on the application of cutting-edge tools such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS), marker-assisted selection (MAS), and gene-editing technologies. It will also highlight the challenges and opportunities in translating these genetic advancements into practical breeding strategies that can be implemented in diverse agricultural systems to safeguard crop productivity in the face of increasing pathogen pressure. We invite authors to contribute their insights on the latest developments, challenges, and innovations in this rapidly evolving field.
Dr. Ruth A. Heinz
Prof. Dr. Zujun Yang
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
- genetic approaches
- GWAS
- QTL mapping
- disease resistance
- crop breeding
- molecular biology
- genome editing
- CRISPR-Cas9
- resistance genes
- marker-assisted selection
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