About this Research Topic
Crops have evolved complex mechanisms for tolerance under chilling stress. These mechanisms include stress perception, signal transduction, transcriptional activation of stress-responsive target genes, and synthesis of stress-related proteins and other molecules. Conventional breeding has been instrumental in developing chilling tolerant cultivars in various crops. However, the more recent integration of molecular and omics-based techniques to conventional breeding has vastly improved the efficiency of screening traits associated with chilling tolerance. An improved understanding of the physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses and tolerance mechanisms, along with the discovery of novel stress-responsive pathways and genes, may contribute to efficient engineering strategies that enhance cold stress tolerance. It is therefore imperative to accelerate the efforts to unravel the mechanisms underlying cold stress tolerance in horticultural crops.
This Research Topic aims to present and discuss cold stress tolerance mechanisms using physiological, biochemical, molecular, structural and systems biology approaches in horticultural crops. Furthermore, to analyse the postharvest technologies that alleviate chilling injury, restrict loss and ensure maximal quality and economic value. A further objective is to introduce the most relevant problems of chilling tolerance mechanisms, and to emphasize the effective, safe and environmental-friendly technologies for chilling tolerance induction. Articles are expected to address and report recent advances in the physiological, molecular and genetic perspectives of chilling tolerance in horticultural crops falling under the following aspects:
- Physiological, molecular and genetic response of horticultural crops to chilling stress;
- Novel chilling-responsive pathways and genes to regulate chilling tolerance in horticultural crops;
- Molecular and functional genomics approaches for tolerant crops selection and breeding;
- Physiology, biology, and mitigation technologies for postharvest chilling injury in horticultural crops.
Keywords: Chilling Stress, Chilling Response, Chilling Tolerance, Horticultural Crop
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.