Enhancing Crop Resiliency through Innovative Breeding Techniques: Paving the Way for Sustainable Agriculture

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 1923

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Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Center of Agricultural Science and Technology, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Av. Alberto Lamego, 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil
Interests: quantitative genetics; abiotic stress; biotic stress; genetic diversity; crop science; molecular plant breeding
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Guest Editor
Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Talca, 1 Poniente 1141, Talca 3465548, Chile
Interests: breeding science; quantitative genetics; GWAS; genomic and phenomic prediction
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Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska—Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0664, USA
Interests: quantitative genetics; abiotic stress; genetic diversity; crop science; molecular plant breeding; plant physiology; NGS; proteomics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change and the resulting extreme weather events, such as drought, floods, heatwaves, and pests, pose significant challenges to global food security. To address these challenges, it is essential to develop crops that can withstand and adapt to changing environmental conditions. Crop resiliency is a key trait that can ensure sustainable crop production and mitigate the negative effects of climate change on agriculture. In recent years, innovative breeding techniques have shown great promise in enhancing crop resiliency and developing sustainable agriculture. These techniques include the use of molecular markers, genetic engineering, and gene editing, phenomics, and others.

This Special Issue aims to bring together the latest research and developments in the field of crop breeding techniques and their application to enhance crop resiliency. The included articles cover a wide range of crops and regions, highlighting the importance of crop resiliency in different agricultural systems. These papers present cutting-edge research on the development of crops that can tolerate drought, salinity, pests, and other environmental stresses. Furthermore, this Special Issue showcases innovative breeding techniques that are used to accelerate the development of new crop varieties that are more resilient to changing environmental conditions.

Therefore, in this Special Issue, we will publish reviews and original research papers that emphasize the importance of enhancing crop resiliency through innovative breeding techniques as a means of paving the way for sustainable agriculture. The articles in this Special Issue provide an excellent resource for researchers, plant breeders, and policymakers who are working towards ensuring food security and sustainability in the face of climate change worldwide.

Dr. Antônio Teixeira do Amaral Junior
Dr. Freddy Mora-Poblete
Dr. Talles de Oliveira Santos
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • multi-OMICs approaches (genomics, phenomics, proteomics, etc.)
  • high-throughput techniques
  • QTL mapping
  • GWAS
  • genome sequencing
  • functional genomics
  • genome editing
  • gene regulations
  • epigenetic modifications
  • food security
  • crop improvement
  • speed breeding
  • plant biotechnology
  • genomic selection
  • sustainability

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 1353 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Potential of Heterosis to Improve Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Popcorn Plants
by Talles de Oliveira Santos, Antônio Teixeira do Amaral Junior, Rosimeire Barboza Bispo, Wallace de Paula Bernado, Bruna Rohem Simão, Valter Jário de Lima, Marta Simone Mendonça Freitas, Freddy Mora-Poblete, Roberto dos Santos Trindade, Samuel Henrique Kamphorst, Weverton Pereira Rodrigues, Eliemar Campostrini, Flávia Nicácio Viana and Cosme Damião Cruz
Plants 2023, 12(11), 2135; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12112135 - 28 May 2023
Viewed by 1638
Abstract
Nitrogen is crucial for plant growth and development, and improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is a viable strategy for reducing dependence on nitrogen inputs and promoting sustainability. While the benefits of heterosis in corn are well known, the physiological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon [...] Read more.
Nitrogen is crucial for plant growth and development, and improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is a viable strategy for reducing dependence on nitrogen inputs and promoting sustainability. While the benefits of heterosis in corn are well known, the physiological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon in popcorn are less understood. We aimed to investigate the effects of heterosis on growth and physiological traits in four popcorn lines and their hybrids under two contrasting nitrogen conditions. We evaluated morpho-agronomic and physiological traits such as leaf pigments, the maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII, and leaf gas exchange. Components associated with NUE were also evaluated. N deprivation caused reductions of up to 65% in terms of plant architecture, 37% in terms of leaf pigments, and 42% in terms of photosynthesis-related traits. Heterosis had significant effects on growth traits, NUE, and foliar pigments, particularly under low soil nitrogen conditions. N-utilization efficiency was found to be the mechanism favoring superior hybrid performance for NUE. Non-additive genetic effects were predominant in controlling the studied traits, indicating that exploring heterosis is the most effective strategy for obtaining superior hybrids to promote NUE. The findings are relevant and beneficial for agro farmers seeking sustainable agricultural practices and improved crop productivity through the optimization of nitrogen utilization. Full article
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