About this Research Topic
Horticultural crops provide a significant boost to sustainable production and the global food and nutritional security. They play a vital role in balancing the nutritional demands of consumers providing bioactive molecules, fibre, minerals, and vitamins, all essential for human health and wellbeing. Owing to an extraordinary prevalence of pigment pathways, and the ease to score differences in coloured phenotypes, horticultural species have traditionally served as a foundation for important discoveries in genetics and epigenetics, starting from Mendel’s peas to the more recent discoveries of epigenetic variation in petunia flower coloration (co-suppression, gene-silencing) which ultimately led to the discovery of the widespread existence of RNA interference (RNAi). Yet, the genetic improvement of many horticultural species and the elucidation of the gene action underlying desirable traits can be challenging owing to differences in reproductive systems, heterozygosity, varying ploidy levels, genome complexity, and variable breeding cycle durations, as for example in fruit trees.
A main goal of this Research Topic is to employ contemporary conceptual and technological advances applicable to horticultural crops to shed light on the genes and types of gene action that underlie response to selection and genetic gains during breeding. Also, to delineate the conditions that provide the link between phenotypic, (epi)genomic, and genotypic superiority thus improving selection efficiency and promoting fast local adaptation. The integration of contemporary methods for dissecting the genetics of important traits including advances in functional genomics, pangenomics, phenotyping, and bioinformatics are included.
Climate change provides additional challenges including increasing the risk of environmental/abiotic and biotic stresses, causing for example, shifts in the timing of flowering period, impacting productivity or even altering the production areas of various horticultural crops. To counter these challenges, it is necessary to develop cultivars with high adaptive potential to environmental changes. Key genes need to be identified and used for DNA marker-aided selection, genomic selection, and (epi)genome editing technologies. Epigenetic changes in genomic methylation and the modification of chromatin structure are also important in the regulation of gene expression. Exploring new approaches leading to rapid improvement of products can benefit producers (farmers) and nutritionally safeguard consumers.
This Research Topic is designed to attract original research manuscripts, focused reviews, perspective and opinion articles that can significantly advance the current knowledge of the genetics and gene action of important traits in horticultural crops, including fruit trees. Contributions from certain other crops enriching existing knowledge, e.g. through application of (pan)genomics and advanced breeding approaches, that find applications to species of horticultural interest are also sought after. More specifically, contributions that match the following research areas, but are not limited to, are welcome.
- Characterization and mapping of horticulturally important genes and phenotypes for improving nutritional and health-related characters of horticultural crops
- Patterns of gene action, genic interactions within a genome, and interactions with genetic systems to enhance local adaptation and response to climate change
- Role of epigenetics and epigenomics in plant and environment crosstalk for climate-resilient crop improvement
- Germplasm resources for enhancing gene discovery and diversity in horticultural crops
- Phenotyping schemes in the field or under controlled conditions for genetic improvement and enhanced genetic gain
- Functional genomics, gene expression, and metabolite/multi-omics research
- Research on abiotic and biotic stress tolerance in horticultural crops
- DNA marker-aided breeding and its application in horticultural crops
- (Epi)genome editing of horticultural crops – effects on gene action
- Role of quantitative genetics and biometrics in accelerating genetic gains
A main goal of this Research Topic is to employ contemporary conceptual and technological advances applicable to horticultural crops to shed light on the genes and types of gene action that underlie response to selection and genetic gains during breeding. Also, to delineate the conditions that provide the link between phenotypic, (epi)genomic, and genotypic superiority thus improving selection efficiency and promoting fast local adaptation. The integration of contemporary methods for dissecting the genetics of important traits including advances in functional genomics, pangenomics, phenotyping, and bioinformatics are included.
Climate change provides additional challenges including increasing the risk of environmental/abiotic and biotic stresses, causing for example, shifts in the timing of flowering period, impacting productivity or even altering the production areas of various horticultural crops. To counter these challenges, it is necessary to develop cultivars with high adaptive potential to environmental changes. Key genes need to be identified and used for DNA marker-aided selection, genomic selection, and (epi)genome editing technologies. Epigenetic changes in genomic methylation and the modification of chromatin structure are also important in the regulation of gene expression. Exploring new approaches leading to rapid improvement of products can benefit producers (farmers) and nutritionally safeguard consumers.
This Research Topic is designed to attract original research manuscripts, focused reviews, perspective and opinion articles that can significantly advance the current knowledge of the genetics and gene action of important traits in horticultural crops, including fruit trees. Contributions from certain other crops enriching existing knowledge, e.g. through application of (pan)genomics and advanced breeding approaches, that find applications to species of horticultural interest are also sought after. More specifically, contributions that match the following research areas, but are not limited to, are welcome.
- Characterization and mapping of horticulturally important genes and phenotypes for improving nutritional and health-related characters of horticultural crops
- Patterns of gene action, genic interactions within a genome, and interactions with genetic systems to enhance local adaptation and response to climate change
- Role of epigenetics and epigenomics in plant and environment crosstalk for climate-resilient crop improvement
- Germplasm resources for enhancing gene discovery and diversity in horticultural crops
- Phenotyping schemes in the field or under controlled conditions for genetic improvement and enhanced genetic gain
- Functional genomics, gene expression, and metabolite/multi-omics research
- Research on abiotic and biotic stress tolerance in horticultural crops
- DNA marker-aided breeding and its application in horticultural crops
- (Epi)genome editing of horticultural crops – effects on gene action
- Role of quantitative genetics and biometrics in accelerating genetic gains
Keywords: DNA marker-aided selection, Epigenetics, RNAi, Flowering time, Heterosis, Host plant resistance to pathogens and pests Breeding methods, Gene expression, Genetic engineering, Genomic estimated breeding values for selection Clonal propagation, Crop wild relatives (CWR), Deleterious genes, Epistasis, Phenotyping, Response to selection/genetic gains, Plant pigments, Fruit trees
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.
