Vegetable Genomics and Breeding Research

Dear Colleagues,

Vegetables play a crucial role in the human diet, providing essential vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibers necessary for maintaining health. With the global population on the rise and increasing demands for nutritious food, there is a pressing need to enhance vegetable production, quality, and resilience to environmental challenges. Genomics and breeding research have emerged as powerful tools in achieving these objectives by unraveling the genetic basis of important traits and developing improved varieties with desirable characteristics.

This Special Issue aims to compile cutting-edge research in the fields of vegetable genomics and breeding, focusing on advances in understanding the genetic architecture of key traits, genomic-assisted breeding methodologies, and the development of superior vegetable cultivars. Contributions covering a wide range of vegetables, including, but not limited to, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, and onions, are welcome. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Genome sequencing and the assembly of important vegetable crops.
2. The identification and characterization of genes controlling agronomically important traits such as yield, quality, disease resistance, and abiotic stress tolerance.
3. Functional genomics approaches to decipher gene function and regulatory networks in vegetables, especially associated with plant hormones.
4. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genomic selection (GS) for the accelerated breeding of improved varieties.
5. Integration of genomic data with traditional breeding methods for trait enhancement.
6. Genomic resources and tools for vegetable breeding programs.
7. Applications of genome editing technologies (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9) for targeted trait improvement in vegetables.
8. Understanding the genetic basis of domestication and evolution in vegetable crops.
9. Genomic approaches to address challenges related to climate change and sustainable agriculture in vegetable production systems.
10. Speed breeding technology.

Researchers are invited to submit original research articles, reviews, and short communications related to vegetable genomics and breeding research for consideration in this Special Issue. Manuscripts should be prepared according to the journal's guidelines and submitted online through the journal's submission system. All submissions will undergo rigorous a peer review process to ensure high scientific quality and relevance to the theme of this Special Issue.

Dr. Xiao Yang
Dr. Feng Yang
Dr. Bin Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• vegetable genomics
• plant breeding
• molecular breeding
• gene editing
• genome sequencing