Next-Generation Breeding Approaches for Crop Resilience and Yield Improvement

Modern agriculture faces mounting challenges from climate change, soil degradation, and rising biotic and abiotic stresses, which severely threaten crop productivity and global food and nutritional security. While traditional breeding has prioritized above-ground traits ((yield, quality, biotic and abiotic stress)), increasing attention is now turning to Root System Architecture (RSA) and related traits, a critical determinant of stress resilience, nutrient acquisition (e.g., nitrogen uptake/fixation), and yield stability. Advances in next-generation sequencing, genome editing (e.g., CRISPR/Cas), high-throughput phenotyping, and multi-omics technologies are now enabling the genetic dissection and targeted crop improvement traits. This Research Topic showcase real-world applications of RSA-centered breeding strategies to improve crop performance under diverse and challenging environmental conditions, ultimately supporting climate-smart and sustainable agriculture.

This Research Topic seeks to highlight the latest research and innovations in Next-Generation Breeding approaches to improve crop adaptation, productivity, and resource-use efficiency. The focus will be on how RSA and related traits contribute to tolerance against drought, cold, salinity, nutrient deficiencies (especially nitrogen and phosphorus), and biotic stresses. We encourage studies that use tools like genomic selection, GWAS (genome-wide association studies), QTL (quantitative trait loci) mapping, transcriptomics, metabolomics, phenomics, and gene editing to identify, validate the genomic regions associated with RSA and crop improvement-related traits. Special emphasis will be placed on integrating below ground traits with above-ground performance (e.g., yield, quality and stress tolerance) and translating molecular discoveries into breeding pipelines. This collection aims to serve as a reference for breeders, molecular biologists, and agronomists working to develop stress-resilient, nutrient-efficient, and widely adapted cultivars through a root-focused lens.

We welcome Original Research, Reviews, Perspectives, and Methodology articles focused on RSA and crop improvement traits, its role in enhancing crop resilience, resource-use efficiency, and yield stability. Emphasis is placed on studies involving cereals, legumes, oilseeds, and horticultural crops across diverse agro-ecological zones. We are especially interested in research that explores:

• Genetic mapping and functional validation of RSA and crop improvement-related genes and QTLs
• Root and shoot traits associated with drought tolerance, nutrient uptake, and biological nitrogen fixation
• Genomics-assisted selection and CRISPR/Cas-mediated editing of root and yield related traits
• Multi-omics strategies involving transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics in root and shoot stress responses
• High-throughput phenotyping and artificial intelligence/machine learning applications for crop improvement • Root and shoot development under combined or sequential abiotic and biotic stresses
• Role of RSA in improving yield performance, stability, and climate adaptation
• Case studies translating root trait research into breeding programs and field-ready cultivars

Article types and fees

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

• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

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:

• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Root system architecture, Drought tolerance, Nitrogen fixation, Stress resilience, Yield improvement, Genomics-assisted breeding, CRISPR/Cas, QTL mapping, Root phenotyping, Multi-omics

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.