Special Issues

Plants publishes Special Issues to create collections of papers on specific topics, with the aim of building a community of authors and readers to discuss the latest research and develop new ideas and research directions. Special Issues are led by Guest Editors, who are experts on the topic and all Special Issue submissions follow MDPI's standard editorial process. The journal’s Editor-in-Chief and/or designated Editorial Board Member will oversee Guest Editor appointments and Special Issue proposals, checking their content for relevance and ensuring the suitability of the material for the journal. The papers published in a Special Issue will be collected and displayed on a dedicated page of the journal’s website. Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies and Guest Editor responsibilities can be found here. For any inquiries related to a Special Issue, please contact the Editorial Office.

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Advances in Legume Crops Research—2nd Edition submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1052 | Submission Open
Keywords: genomics in legumes; genetics; molecular breeding and marker-assisted selection/breeding; biotic and abiotic stresses; genetic resources; wild relatives; genomic selection; modern breeding methods; G  × E interaction; rapid advancement generation; genetic gains
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology)
Metabolic Analysis of Plant Development and Defense Responses
edited by
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 967 | Submission Open
Keywords: plant metabolism; defense responses; metabolomics; stress tolerance; metabolic engineering
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Molecular Biology)
Plant Chemical Ecology—2nd Edition
edited by , , Peng Wang and Guoxin Zhou
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 967 | Submission Open
Keywords: allelopathy; allelochemicals; chemical communication; chemical defenses; common mycorrhizal networks; kin recognition; herbivores; pathogens; pest management; signaling interactions; soil microorganisms; rhizosphere; root exudates; volatiles
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions)
Interactions Between Plants and Beneficial Microorganisms submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 919 | Submission Open
Keywords: plant– microbe interactions; beneficial microorganisms; abiotic and biotic stress tolerance; plant growth promotion; microbial applications in agriculture
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions)
Nutrient Requirements and Fertilizer Management Strategies in Plant Cultivation, Second Edition
edited by Lin Tang
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 796 | Submission Open
Keywords: fertilization; plant nutrition; nutrient sources; absorption efficiency; nutrient losses
(This special issue belongs to the Section Horticultural Science and Ornamental Plants)
Molecular Mechanisms of Legume–Rhizobium Symbiosis submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 739 | Submission Open
Keywords: legume– rhizobium interaction; nodule organogenesis; symbiotic nitrogen fixation; signalling pathways; nodule number control; symbiosis maintenance
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant–Soil Interactions)
Next-Generation Plant Breeding: Integrating Genomics Tools and Marker-Assisted Selection submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 630 | Submission Open
Keywords: marker-assisted selection; molecular markers; CRISPR-Cas9; cereals; genetic diversity; plant genomics; genomic selection; big data analysis; artificial intelligence; omics and biotechnological technologies; genetic improvement of crops; next-generation sequencing; genotyping by sequencing; GWAS; QTL mapping
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology)
Plant Defense Mechanisms Against Pathogens: Signaling Pathways, Genetic Foundations, and Biotechnological Innovations
edited by and Shouan Zhang
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 418 | Submission Open
Keywords: plant defense mechanisms; plant health; signaling pathways; genetic foundations; biotechnological innovations; food security; sustainable agriculture
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions)
Genetic and Metabolic Insights into Crop Improvement
edited by and Qianling Xiao
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 182 | Submission Open
Keywords: genetic improvement; metabolite/metabolomics; functional dissection; biosynthesis/accumulation; molecular design breeding; yield/quality; resistance/tolerance
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology)
Crop–Weed Competition: Ecological Interactions and Management Strategies submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 153 | Submission Open
Keywords: crop– weed competition; ecological interactions; integrated weed management; allelopathy; cropping systems; climate change impacts; cover cropping; competitive traits; modeling
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Ecology)
Integrated Plant Nutrition and Food Quality: Production, Postharvest, and Processing submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 142 | Submission Open
Keywords: plant nutrition; food quality; biofortification; phytochemicals; rhizosphere microbiome; biostimulants; postharvest; controlled-environment agriculture; precision fertilization; bioaccessibility; non-thermal processing; sensory quality; nutrient density
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Nutrition)
Physiological Function of Jasmonic Acid-Mediated Signaling Pathway in Plants
edited by Xiaoling Sun
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 139 | Submission Open
Keywords: jasmonates; plant development; plant defense; molecular merchinary
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Physiology and Metabolism)
Soil Microbial Mediation of Trace Element Uptake in Plants submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 127 | Submission Open
Keywords: soil– plant systems; soil microorganisms; rhizosphere; trace elements; food security
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant–Soil Interactions)
Evolution, Biology, Ecology and Uses of Azolla
edited by Jonathan Bujak, and
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 125 | Submission Open
Keywords: Azolla; Nostoc azollae; nitrogen fixation; phytoremediation; cyanobacterial blooms; climate mitigation; sustainable agriculture
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Ecology)
Grape Viticulture and Its Responses to Stresses
edited by and Leonor Deis
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 120 | Submission Open
Keywords: grape; viticultural practices; stress; climate change; vine management
(This special issue belongs to the Section Horticultural Science and Ornamental Plants)
Physiology and Innovation in Fruit Crops: Biostimulants, Stress Responses, and Postharvest Technologies submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 119 | Submission Open
Keywords: fruit crops; plant physiology; climate change; abiotic stress; biostimulants; stress tolerance mechanisms; postharvest technologies; edible coatings; bioactive compounds
(This special issue belongs to the Section Horticultural Science and Ornamental Plants)
Cryopreservation, In Vitro, and Seed Banking Technologies for Plant Biodiversity Conservation
edited by and
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 108 | Submission Open
Keywords: gene banks; plant biodiversity conservation; in vitro culture; cryopreservation; seed storage
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Cell Biology)
Chemical Diversity and Biotechnological Potential of Marine Cyanobacteria
edited by Vincent Bielinski, and Fernanda Oliveira das Chagas
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 96 | Submission Open
Keywords: marine cyanobacteria; secondary metabolites; biosynthetic gene clusters; compound discovery; applied biotechnology
(This special issue belongs to the Section Phytochemistry)
Chemical and Pharmacological Potential of Medicinal Plants
edited by , and Joelma Abadia Marciano de Paula
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 92 | Submission Open
Keywords: phytochemistry; preclinical assays; clinical trials; quality control; herbal medicine
(This special issue belongs to the Section Phytochemistry)
Integrated Pest Management of Field Crops submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 92 | Submission Open
Keywords: IPM; host plant resistance; biological control; microbial control; behavioral control; genetic control; cultural control; pest monitoring; selectivity; insect resistance management
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions)
Isolation, Diversity and Bioactivity of Plant Metabolites submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 91 | Submission Open
Keywords: secondary metabolites; HPLC; bioactive compounds; plant extracts; nature-inspired derivatives; NMR; isolation; structural diversity; bioactivity
(This special issue belongs to the Section Phytochemistry)
Plant Interactions with Both Beneficial and Pathogenic Microorganisms submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 86 | Submission Open
Keywords: plant– microbe interactions; biocontrol agents; biostimulants; plant pathogens; sustainable agriculture
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions)
Advances in Genome Editing Technologies for Crop Improvement and Disease Resistance submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 83 | Submission Open
Keywords: meganucleases; ZNFs; TALENs; CRISPR/Cas; CRISPRa; CRISPRi; prime editing; base editing; genome editing; crops; agronomic trait; plant disease
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology)
Postharvest Physiology and Storage of Fruits and Vegetables
edited by
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 83 | Submission Open
Keywords: postharvest physiology; fruit ripening; storage technologies; ethylene production; controlled atmosphere storage; food preservation; nutritional quality retention; postharvest losses
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Physiology and Metabolism)
Plant Biology and Sustainable Weed Management submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 83 | Submission Open
Keywords: weed biology and control; integrated weed management; herbicide resistant crops and weeds; biotechnology in weed research; technological tools for weed management; herbicide application technology
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions)
Breeding Strategies to Enhance Quality and Resilience in Horticultural Crops
edited by Adrían Rodríguez-Burruezo
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 80 | Submission Open
Keywords: acids; antioxidants; crop resilience and adaptability; cultivated diversity; genome wide association study; genomic selection; quantitative trait loci; sugars; valorization of landraces; volatiles
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Molecular Biology)
Recent Advances in Plant Responses to Combined Stresses Under Climate Change
edited by , and Theodora Ntanasi
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 79 | Submission Open
Keywords: multiple stresses; combined stresses; climate change; drought stress; heat stress; salinity stress; molecular breeding; cell and molecular biology; gene regulation; genetics; genomics; crop improvement; horticultural crops; grafting technology; nanoparticles (NPs); biostimulants; microbial inoculants
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change)
Recent Advancements in Jasmonate Research
edited by Guillermo Jimenez-Aleman and
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 78 | Submission Open
Keywords: jasmonate signaling; plant defense; stress responses; biosynthesis; hormonal interactions; agricultural applications
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Physiology and Metabolism)
Plant-Derived Bioactives for the Prevention and Management of Metabolic Diseases
edited by and Bárbara Maiztegui
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 76 | Submission Open
Keywords: metabolic diseases; natural products; plant-derived therapeutic agents; plant-derived bioactives; medicinal plants; phytotherapeutic formulations; traditional health systems
(This special issue belongs to the Section Phytochemistry)
Computational Approaches to Decoding Plant Molecular Networks
edited by
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 76 | Submission Open
Keywords: computational techniques; multi-omics data; plant molecular analysis; machine learning; AI; data integration
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Molecular Biology)
Receptor Kinase-Mediated Signaling in Plants
edited by Hongqing Guo
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 70 | Submission Open
Keywords: receptor kinase signaling; ligands; co-receptors; signaling components; post-translational modifications; substrates; transcription factors; gene expression; genetics and genomics; plant growth; development; stress responses
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Molecular Biology)
New Perspectives on Plant Biogeography, Systematics, and Taxonomy submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 67 | Submission Open
Keywords: biogeography; nomenclature; palynotaxonomy; taxonomy; systematics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Systematics, Taxonomy, Nomenclature and Classification)
Integrative Taxonomy, Systematics, and Morphology of Land Plants
edited by , and Maria Teresa Buril
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 60 | Submission Open
Keywords: anatomy; biogeography; cytogenetics; evolution; morphometrics; molecular phylogenetics; palynology; phylogenomics; systematics; species delimitation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Systematics, Taxonomy, Nomenclature and Classification)
Plant Stress Responses: Molecular Genetics and Enzyme Regulation
edited by
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 57 | Submission Open
Keywords: plant stress responses; molecular genetics; enzyme regulation; abiotic and biotic stresses; transcription factors; signal transduction; hormonal crosstalk; reactive oxygen species (ROS); gene expression regulation; crop stress tolerance; epigenetic modifications
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology)
Integrated Quality Management in Horticultural Crops: Decoding Hormonal, Transcriptional and Metabolic Interfaces
edited by and
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 55 | Submission Open
Keywords: phytohormones; transcription factors; metabolic pathways; multi-omics; CRISPR; postharvest physiology
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology)
Orchid Germplasm Conservation and Propagation Strategies
edited by , and Virginia Silva Carvalho
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 54 | Submission Open
Keywords: germination; seed storage; seedling growth; cryoconservation; orchid; seed formation; tissue culture
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Genetic Resources)
Soil-Water Contamination and Ecological Restoration Using Plants
edited by and Chong Cao
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 50 | Submission Open
Keywords: soil/water contamination; nitrogen and phosphorus; heavy metal; microplastics (MPs); perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs); antibiotics; aquatic and terrestrial plants; wetland
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Ecology)
Nutritional and Therapeutic Metabolites from Ethnomedicine and Agri-Food Sources: Emerging Research and Applications
edited by Mamadou Aliou Balde
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 47 | Submission Open
Keywords: plant-based metabolites; metabolomics; natural products; functional food development; ethnomedicine; therapeutic metabolites; agri-food by-products; green extraction technologies
(This special issue belongs to the Section Phytochemistry)
Molecular Regulation of Maize Abiotic Stress Resilience
edited by and Jingwei Yan
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 46 | Submission Open
Keywords: maize; abiotic stress; stress resilience; molecular regulation; signal transduction; gene expression; regulatory networks
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change)
Advances in Sustainable Weed Management in Crop Production
edited by
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 43 | Submission Open
Keywords: precision agriculture; non-chemical weed control; robotics and AI; integrated weed management
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions)
Phytoremediation: Advances in Plant-Based Strategies, from the Lab to the Field
edited by Mariana Rosa and Carolina Prado
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 41 | Submission Open
Keywords: phytoremediation; plant– microbe interactions; constructed wetlands; physiological and biochemical mechanisms; emerging contaminants; sustainable biomass management; nature-based solutions; AI-assisted phytotechnology
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant–Soil Interactions)
Optimization of Legume Nitrogen Fixation and Use in the Organic Farming Ecosystem
edited by Raminta Skipitytė
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 41 | Submission Open
Keywords: legumes; biological nitrogen fixation; nitrogen resources; organic farming; crop production; inoculation; sustainable agriculture
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Nutrition)
Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Kernel Development in Cereal Crops
edited by and Zhiyong Zhang
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 41 | Submission Open
Keywords: cereal crops; kernel development; endosperm and embryo development; grain yield; regulatory networks; phytohormone signaling; epigenetic modifications; nutrient partitioning; climate resilience
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Molecular Biology)
Botanical Standardization and Metabolic Profiling
edited by and
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 41 | Submission Open
Keywords: medicinal plant; functional food; chemical standardization; extraction; biological assay; antioxidant properties; metabolic profile
(This special issue belongs to the Section Phytochemistry)
Cell Biology, Development, Adaptation and Evolution of Plants
edited by Hiroyasu Motose
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 37 | Submission Open
Keywords: morphology and development; cell division and growth; signaling and gene expression; adaptation to the environment; genomics; technological evolution and new model systems; evolution
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Development and Morphogenesis)
Molecular Mechanisms and Mitigation Strategies for Heavy Metal Stress Decoding in Crop Plants submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 36 | Submission Open
Keywords: antioxidant defense; crop plant tolerance; genetic engineering; heavy metal stress; ion homeostasis; molecular mechanisms; phytohormone signaling; phytoremediation; omics approaches; oxidative stress; stress priming; sustainable agriculture
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant–Soil Interactions)
Chemical Characterization and Functional Identification of Plant Extracts submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 34 | Submission Open
Keywords: phytochemicals; biological activities; natural product isolation; extraction of natural products; compound isolation; bioactive secondary metabolites; chromatography; structure elucidation and phytochemical purification
(This special issue belongs to the Section Phytochemistry)
Genetics and Management for Enhanced Fruit Crop Production
edited by Yong Xiao and Wei Xia
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 25 | Submission Open
Keywords: fruit crop genetics; disease resistance; CRISP/CAS9; sustainable horticulture; postharvest management; genomic selection
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology)
Advanced Cultivation Techniques and Breeding Strategies for Oilseed Crops
edited by and
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 5 | Submission Open
Keywords: breeding; climate change; cultivation; oilseed crops; quality; stress; yield; disease resistance
(This special issue belongs to the Section Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology)
Management of Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition for Improved Crop Production
edited by Xingzhu Ma, and
submission deadline 1 May 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 3678 | Submission Open
Keywords: green and efficient agricultural production technology; soil amendments and organic matter management; precision agriculture promoting nutritional optimization; changes in soil fertility and biological activity in farmland; sustainable crop rotation management
(This special issue belongs to the Section Crop Physiology and Crop Production)
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