Dear Colleagues,

Traditionally, oat has been primarily produced as a multipurpose crop for grain, pasture, and forage, or as a rotation crop in many parts of the world. However, in recent years the interest in oat’s potential benefits in nutrition and health has increased significantly, due in part to its superior and unique combinations of biocompounds.

Oat crop is affected by many biotic and abiotic stresses that influence its growth and development, preventing it from reaching its full genetic potential and performance. In addition, the current climate change scenario is causing irregular and unusual yield instability and production losses. Plant responses to these biotic and abiotic stresses involve complex interactions among the genes, proteins, and metabolites that contribute to plant phenotype plasticity. A holistic interpretation of the mechanisms leading to the resistance/tolerance of oats to their biotic and abiotic constraints is necessary, as is going deeper into the molecular responses. This knowledge will help to develop next-generation oat breeding tools, including physiological, biochemical, genomic, and genetic approaches for a more sustainable oat crop.

This Special Issue intends to bring together cutting-edge research with original research articles, reviews, and commentaries covering research related to resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses in oats, including aspects of agronomy, physiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, histology, genetics, etc., that can contribute to the improvement of this important cereal.

Dr. Gracia Montilla-Bascon
Dr. Julio Isidro Sánchez
Guest Editors

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• oat
• yield
• physiology
• genomics
• oat agronomy
• oat resistance
• oat breeding
• metabolomics