Omics and Plant Genetic Resources – Unlocking Biodiversity for Future-Ready Agriculture

In the face of climate change, food insecurity, and biodiversity loss, plant genetic resources (PGR) have never been more vital. This special issue brings together cutting-edge research at the intersection of omics technologies—including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and phenomics—and the conservation, characterization, and utilization of plant genetic resources.

As global genebanks expand their roles from passive storage to active contributors in crop improvement and sustainability, omics tools are transforming how we understand, monitor, and use plant diversity. From genome sequencing of underutilised crops and landraces to high-throughput phenotyping and data-driven trait discovery, this issue showcases how modern omics is unlocking the full potential of PGR for breeding climate-resilient, high-yielding, and nutritionally enhanced cultivars.

We invite contributions that highlight methodological innovations, case studies, integrative approaches, and reviews that explore how omics is reshaping the future of plant genetic resource management and deployment.

Key themes include:

• Genomic characterization and diversity analysis of PGR

• Integration of phenomics and genotypic data

• Omics-driven trait discovery in wild and cultivated species

• Bioinformatics and data management in PGR research

• Applications in climate resilience, disease resistance, and abiotic stress

This Research Topic aims to bridge the gap between conservation and utilization, fostering a new era where biodiversity meets biotechnology.

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
• FAIR² Data
• 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:

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

Keywords: Plant Genomics, Omics Technologies, Plant Biodiversity, Crop Improvement, Genebank Innovation

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.