Editorial: ‘Advances in Mutation Breeding in the Era of Molecular Physiology and Functional Genomics for Climate Change Adaptation’
TL;DR
The role of mutation breeding and advanced crop improvement tools in ensuring global food security is highlighted, including targeted mutations, bioinformatics and functional genomics.
Abstract
This special issue was offered to provide a platform to the plant scientists working on development and/or evaluation of plant mutants facilitating climate‐resilient crop breeding. A total of 13 research and review articles were accepted for publication. These research and review papers focused on the development and evaluation of the novel mutants for their adaptation to various climates including both biotic and abiotic stresses using emerging tools of molecular physiology and statistics. These also presented the use of different physical and chemical mutagens and advanced molecular tools to develop and detect mutations, respectively. Likewise, some novel approaches for crop improvement were presented, including targeted mutations, bioinformatics and functional genomics. Additionally, one study on precise gene editing in rice reported that tolerance to bacterial leaf blight can be achieved without yield penalty. Overall, this special issue highlights the role of mutation breeding and advanced crop improvement tools in ensuring global food security.