Advances in Industrial Crops: Genomics, Genetic Diversity, and Breeding
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 37
Special Issue Editors
Interests: using GWAS and QTL methods to figure out which genes help plants survive drought, salt, and cold; linking genetic findings with how plants grow, to help high-yield crops flourish in poor-quality soils; combining genomics, phenotyping, and plant physiology to boost biomass production through integrative research
Interests: bioinformatics; gene editing; molecular breeding; plant biotic and abiotic stress tolerance; plant multi-omics and plant population genetics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In the face of global climate change and the increasing urgency for sustainable agriculture, industrial crops such as Miscanthus, switchgrass, hemp, sugarcane, and sorghum have gained attention for their adaptability and potential as bioenergy sources. These crops are frequently grown on marginal lands and in diverse environments with abiotic stresses, making them excellent candidates for climate-resilient biomass production.
This Special Issue invites original research articles and reviews focusing on genomics, genetic diversity, and breeding strategies of industrial crops. We are particularly interested in studies that employ GWAS, QTL mapping, multi-omics approaches, and advanced phenotyping techniques to uncover the genetic basis of stress tolerance and adaptive traits. Contributions that explore gene–trait associations, physiological responses, and breeding applications aimed at improving yield and resilience are highly encouraged.
Through this Special Issue, we aim to gain a better understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying stress adaptation in industrial crops and promote their use for sustainable industrial and agricultural systems.
Dr. Liang Xiao
Dr. Zemao Yang
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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
- industrial crops
- GWAS
- abiotic stress
- multi-omics
- breeding
- QTL mapping
- phenotyping
- genetic diversity
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