Advancing Climate-Resilient Crop Plants: Integrating Molecular and Physiological Strategies

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About this Research Topic

Submission deadlines

  1. Manuscript Summary Submission Deadline 30 September 2025 | Manuscript Submission Deadline 31 May 2026

  2. This Research Topic is still accepting articles.

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Background

Climate change poses a significant threat to global agriculture, with rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and increased incidence of biotic and abiotic stresses severely impacting crop productivity. Developing climate-resilient crop plants is therefore critical for ensuring future food security. This research topic focuses on understanding and enhancing the natural ability of plants to withstand environmental stresses by integrating molecular and physiological approaches. At the molecular level, advances in genomics, transcriptomics, and gene editing technologies (such as CRISPR/Cas9) enable the identification and manipulation of stress-responsive genes and regulatory networks. Simultaneously, morphological and physiological studies help elucidate the functional traits and adaptive responses of plants under stress conditions, such as changes in water-use efficiency, photosynthesis, and root architecture. By combining these strategies, researchers aim to accelerate the development of crop varieties that can maintain yield stability under climate stress, thereby contributing to sustainable agriculture in an increasingly unpredictable environment.

The major problem addressed in this research is the vulnerability of crop plants to climate-induced stresses such as drought, salinity, heat, and flooding, which significantly threaten global food security. Current crop varieties often lack the resilience needed to withstand these stresses, leading to reduced yields and unstable food supplies in many regions. Traditional breeding methods, while useful, are time-consuming and limited by the complexity of stress tolerance traits, which are typically controlled by multiple genes and influenced by environmental factors.

To overcome these challenges, an integrated approach that combines molecular and physiological strategies is essential. Molecular tools such as next-generation sequencing, transcriptome profiling, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and gene editing technologies can identify and modify key genes involved in stress responses. Concurrently, physiological studies help link molecular changes to whole-plant traits such as stomatal regulation, osmotic adjustment, root system architecture, and photosynthetic efficiency. By coupling high-throughput phenotyping with molecular insights, researchers can better understand the mechanisms of stress tolerance and develop crop varieties with enhanced resilience. This integrative strategy enables faster, more precise breeding of climate-resilient crops, ultimately supporting sustainable agriculture in the face of ongoing climate change.

This Research Topic aims to highlight recent advances in developing climate-resilient crop plants through the integration of molecular and physiological strategies. We welcome original research, reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, and methods papers that address innovative approaches to enhance crop tolerance to abiotic stresses linked to climate change.
Specific themes of interest include:
• Identification and functional analysis of stress-responsive genes
• Transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic responses to biotic and abiotic stress
• Breeding strategies integrating molecular and physiological approaches
• Genome editing (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9) for improving stress tolerance
• Physiological and morphological traits associated with biotic and abiotic stress tolerance
• Developing varieties resistant to biotic and abiotic stress through physiological and genetic improvements
• High-throughput phenotyping for stress-resilient traits
• Case studies of successful development of resilient crop varieties
We encourage interdisciplinary submissions that bridge molecular biology and plant physiology, offering insights into mechanisms and applications for sustainable agriculture.

Article types and fees

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

  • Brief Research Report
  • Data Report
  • Editorial
  • Hypothesis and Theory
  • Methods
  • Mini Review
  • Opinion
  • Original Research
  • Perspective

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
  • Data Report
  • Editorial
  • Hypothesis and Theory
  • Methods
  • Mini Review
  • Opinion
  • Original Research
  • Perspective
  • Policy and Practice Reviews
  • Review
  • Systematic Review
  • Technology and Code

Keywords: Climate Resilience, Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Molecular Breeding, Plant Physiology, Gene Editing, Crop Improvement

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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