About this Research Topic
Cereal crops, including wheat (Triticum), maize (Zea), rice (Oryza), barley (Hordeum), sorghum (Sorghum), etc., have a global cropping area of almost 700 million hectares, providing roughly half of the world’s caloric consumption. They are all members of the Gramineae family producing tiny, edible seeds, therefore known as grain crops.
Cereal yields have steadily increased over the last half-century, primarily due to the “green revolution.” However, research showed that the global annual increase for major crops such as wheat, rice, and maize has slowed down to around 1% since the 1990s, nearly reaching a plateau, and a worrying trend is further emerging in the face of the current climate changes. Therefore, expansion of the gene pool and technological advances in molecular breeding, which have the potential to increase the speed and precision of cereal improvement, are promising for further improving crop productivity in the coming decades.
An important concern for modern cultivars is the narrowing of genetic diversity due to decades of domestication and selection for desired traits, which may increase susceptibility to emerging pathogens or other constraints, resulting in loss of productivity. Therefore, major QTLs/genes are highly recommended to be identified from germplasms and deployed in breeding gram by marker assisted selection (MAS). Reverse genetics-identified functional genes are also encouraged to elucidate the underlying mechanisms, which could serve as targets for further genetic modification, potentially resulting in novel alleles. Furthermore, we also support breakthroughs in breeding techniques, such as genomic selection and genome editing, to improve grain output, quality, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
The research topic will include fundamental and application-oriented studies that facilitate cereal breeding and improvement. We welcome submissions of original research and review articles addressing the following issues but are not limited to:
• Genetic basis and molecular control of important traits in cereal species.
• QTL mapping and GWAS to dissect complex quantitative traits.
• Marker-assisted selection and genomic selection/prediction.
• Molecular breeding by design.
• Introgression of novel genetic variation from exotic germplasm sources.
• Domestication and selection signatures.
• Improvement of seed or nutritional quality traits.
• Breeding for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
Cereal yields have steadily increased over the last half-century, primarily due to the “green revolution.” However, research showed that the global annual increase for major crops such as wheat, rice, and maize has slowed down to around 1% since the 1990s, nearly reaching a plateau, and a worrying trend is further emerging in the face of the current climate changes. Therefore, expansion of the gene pool and technological advances in molecular breeding, which have the potential to increase the speed and precision of cereal improvement, are promising for further improving crop productivity in the coming decades.
An important concern for modern cultivars is the narrowing of genetic diversity due to decades of domestication and selection for desired traits, which may increase susceptibility to emerging pathogens or other constraints, resulting in loss of productivity. Therefore, major QTLs/genes are highly recommended to be identified from germplasms and deployed in breeding gram by marker assisted selection (MAS). Reverse genetics-identified functional genes are also encouraged to elucidate the underlying mechanisms, which could serve as targets for further genetic modification, potentially resulting in novel alleles. Furthermore, we also support breakthroughs in breeding techniques, such as genomic selection and genome editing, to improve grain output, quality, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
The research topic will include fundamental and application-oriented studies that facilitate cereal breeding and improvement. We welcome submissions of original research and review articles addressing the following issues but are not limited to:
• Genetic basis and molecular control of important traits in cereal species.
• QTL mapping and GWAS to dissect complex quantitative traits.
• Marker-assisted selection and genomic selection/prediction.
• Molecular breeding by design.
• Introgression of novel genetic variation from exotic germplasm sources.
• Domestication and selection signatures.
• Improvement of seed or nutritional quality traits.
• Breeding for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
Keywords: wheat, rice, maize, QTLs, genetic mapping, marker assisted selection (MAS)
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.
