Elevating Neglected Crops: Gene Editing Approaches to Address Global Food Security Challenges

In the realm of agricultural research, the focus on neglected crops has been comparatively minimal despite their potential to contribute significantly to global food security. These underutilized crops, which include varieties like millet, various legumes, and wild landraces, have been pushed to the periphery of agricultural development. Not only do these crops possess the ability to withstand harsh environmental conditions, but they also offer invaluable nutritional benefits and promote ecological sustainability. Recent advancements in gene editing technologies, especially CRISPR-Cas9, present an exciting opportunity to harness these crops, enhancing their traits for modern agriculture's evolving demands.

This Research Topic aims to investigate how gene editing can be leveraged to improve critical traits such as yield, pest resistance, drought tolerance, and nutritional quality in neglected and underutilized crops. By precisely modifying the genes responsible for these characteristics, gene editing offers a method of addressing the limitations of traditional breeding techniques, which are often slow and imprecise. Examples include expediting the development of drought-resistant millet or boosting protein content in legumes, thereby meeting the dietary needs and environmental constraints more effectively. Through this research, we aim to create a pathway to fortify food security and boost nutritional quality, especially in regions that are most vulnerable to climate change and malnutrition.

To gather further insights into the potential of gene editing in neglected crops, this Research Topic will prioritize articles focusing on key areas. We welcome articles on the following themes:

• Underutilized crops for sustainable agriculture and nutritional security
• Advances made in genome editing methodology
• Optimizing tissue culture regeneration in neglected crops
• Application of CRISPR/Cas and other genome editing tools in orphan crops
• Socioeconomic and ethical considerations in editing neglected crops

This collection will also explore the technical, regulatory, and ethical challenges in the application of gene editing to neglected crops, with case studies demonstrating successful applications and offering perspectives on future possibilities.