About this Research Topic
It has become clear that epigenetic variation and its non-Mendelian modes of transmission may contribute to the inheritance of valuable traits in crop plants. This has led to many studies of the molecular mechanisms underlying epigenetic variation and its inheritance. However, there have been relatively few reports of translation of this new science to successful crop breeding.
Successful crop breeding is defined here as, at a minimum, release of or licensing of germplasm and, at a maximum, as documentation and description of actual field production and use of such crops. Papers suitable for this Research Topic need to go beyond studies of underlying epigenetic mechanisms. Instead, they would need to document cases of success or failure, of what worked and what didn’t work, in the real world of crop breeding. A review describing a survey of the interest in or use of epigenetics by commercial crop breeding companies world-wide would be highly desirable.
This Research Topic welcomes two types of crop breeding successes:
(1) Reports that describe how an already utilized trait or phenotype is due to inheritance of an “epiallele” or other form of epigenetic inheritance.
(2) Reports that describe the targeted generation of novel epialleles of specific genes, or the successful manipulation of epigenetic mechanisms, leading to the production of valuable traits used to produce a novel crop.
For this article collection the method of targeted epigenetic engineering is not as important as is the demonstration and documentation of the successful outcome; use of this technology in producing novel cultivars, lines, and hybrids and/or their subsequent use in field production.
Successful crop breeding is defined here as, at a minimum, release of or licensing of germplasm and, at a maximum, as documentation and description of actual field production and use of such crops. Papers suitable for this Research Topic need to go beyond studies of underlying epigenetic mechanisms. Instead, they would need to document cases of success or failure, of what worked and what didn’t work, in the real world of crop breeding. A review describing a survey of the interest in or use of epigenetics by commercial crop breeding companies world-wide would be highly desirable.
This Research Topic welcomes two types of crop breeding successes:
(1) Reports that describe how an already utilized trait or phenotype is due to inheritance of an “epiallele” or other form of epigenetic inheritance.
(2) Reports that describe the targeted generation of novel epialleles of specific genes, or the successful manipulation of epigenetic mechanisms, leading to the production of valuable traits used to produce a novel crop.
For this article collection the method of targeted epigenetic engineering is not as important as is the demonstration and documentation of the successful outcome; use of this technology in producing novel cultivars, lines, and hybrids and/or their subsequent use in field production.
Keywords: crop breeding, plants, epigenetics, epigenetic variation, epigenomics, inheritance, traits
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.
