Nut Tree Breeding: Conventional and Innovative Strategies

Dear Colleagues, 

Important nut species, recognized for their economical and nutritional value, include almond, brazil nut, cashew nut, chestnut, hazelnut, macadamia, peanut, pecan, pine nut, pistachio, and walnut. Nut crops are full of health benefits and consumers are becoming increasingly conscious about their nutritional uptake. Consequently, the worldwide demand for and consumption of nut crops are steadily increasing.

To meet this increasing demand, there is a need to grow improved, higher-yielding and high-quality nut crops. Breeding and selection are extremely important to obtain new and valuable cultivars for superior nut production, find and introduce resistance genes against the main pests and diseases, improve adaptability to different environments, and increase aptitude for vegetative propagation. To date, the research activity concerning the improvement of tree nuts has been less intense than that of fruit crops, although their extensive genetic resources offer considerable potential for the future.

This Special Issue intends to focus on advances in breeding strategies using both traditional and innovative approaches for genetic improvement, giving a comprehensive overview of the current status of the research on nut tree species. Therefore, for this Special Issue, we welcome the submission of original research papers and reviews that focus on nut crop genetic improvement, including genetic resource evaluation, conventional breeding, hybridization, mapping, marker-assisted selection, genome-wide association studies, genetic transformation, genome editing, propagation techniques, tissue culture, pest and disease resistance, adaptive traits and tolerance to abiotic factors, nutraceutical aspects, and biofortification.

Prof. Daniela Torello Marinoni
Dr. Nadia Valentini
Prof. Roberto Botta
Ms. Vera Pavese
Guest Editors

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