About this Research Topic

Background

Global agricultural systems face pressing challenges from climate change, population growth, and finite resources, necessitating the development of innovative strategies to enhance food security. One of the most promising approaches involves optimizing the photosynthetic efficiency of crops. Photosynthesis is essential for plant growth as it converts light energy into chemical energy, directly impacting crop yields and resilience. Recent scientific endeavors have focused on enhancing various photosynthetic traits to improve plant performance under diverse environmental conditions. Innovations in genetic engineering and biotechnology have enabled precise modifications at the molecular and cellular levels, potentially revolutionizing crop adaptation to adverse conditions. These modifications aim to increase carbon assimilation, optimize light energy capture and utilization, and reduce photorespiration—processes crucial for improving crop productivity. Such advancements also incorporate the redesign of leaf anatomy and the bioengineering of photosynthetic pathways to better accommodate environmental stresses like drought, heat, and high salinity. As we delve deeper into the molecular mechanisms of photosynthesis, new targets for genetic enhancement emerge, offering hope for creating more robust crop varieties capable of sustaining higher productivity in unfavorable conditions.

This research topic aims to address the urgent need for crops that can adapt to rapidly changing environmental conditions by focusing on innovations in photosynthetic trait modification. We aim to showcase research that not only elucidates the underlying mechanisms of photosynthesis enhancement but also demonstrates practical applications of these scientific insights. Contributions should highlight recent advancements in genetic and biotechnological methods that lead to the development of crop varieties with improved photosynthetic efficiency and tolerance to adverse conditions. By integrating these innovations, we can deepen our understanding of photosynthesis's role in plant adaptation to adverse conditions and uncover innovative methods to enhance photosynthetic efficiency and crop resilience.

To gather further insights into the boundaries of photosynthetic trait modification, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Identifying photosynthesis traits related to stress adaptations
- Genetic engineering for enhanced photosynthetic efficiency
- Role of photosynthesis in plant development and growth
- Modeling and simulation of photosynthetic dynamics
- Climate-resilient photosynthetic innovations
- Integration of photosynthetic traits with other plant systems

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: photosynthetic traits, crop adaptation, sustainable agriculture, plant development

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.

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