Vegetable Crop Breeding and Genetics—Addressing Global Needs

As the foundation of healthy diets worldwide, vegetable crops offer essential micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals. However, myriad challenges from climate change, plant diseases, insect pests, and abiotic stresses threaten sustainable vegetable production. This special issue focuses on harnessing innovations in breeding and genetics to create resilient, nutritious vegetable crops that can fulfill rising demands.

We welcome submissions spanning diverse vegetable crop species and research themes. Priority topics include high-throughput phenotyping for complex traits, integration of genomic selection into breeding pipelines, development of climate-resilient varieties, discovery of favorable alleles and gene editing targets, hybrid breeding, microgreens, vertical farming systems, and more. Both original research articles and insightful reviews will be considered.

This special issue provides a premier platform to disseminate cutting-edge vegetable crop research, from uncovering genetic mechanisms to applying new breeding technologies like speed breeding and genomic selection. By gathering perspectives from public, private and academic sectors worldwide, we aim to accelerate genetic gain for improved yield, quality, pest resistance and stress tolerance in vegetable crops.

Ultimately this compilation of topical research will inform innovative strategies to sustainably enhance vegetable production under shifting environments and intensifying production systems. The new science, tools and insights showcased will drive progress towards nourishing an expanding global population with safe, nutritious and affordable vegetables.