Dear Colleagues,

Medicinal crops exhibit a wide range of pharmacological effects, such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cardiovascular properties; hence, they have marked medical and economic value. However, medicinal crops are in the last ring of domestication syndrome and have been neglected over the years by researchers. The development and application of new biotechnologies, such as multi-omics, gene editing, and molecular markers, have accelerated the breeding of medicinal crops for improved traits and quality, generating critical theoretical significance and economic value.

The Special Issue is titled “New Insights into Germplasm Resources, Biotechnology and the Genetic Breeding of Medicinal Crops”. Contributions in the form of original research articles, reviews, methods, and communications covering all aspects of the characterization of medicinal crop genetic resources and their applications will be considered. The topics of submissions to this Special Issue include (but are not limited to):

• The identification of new germplasm resources of medicinal crops through classical genetic breeding or modern biotechnical approaches.
• The functional verification of genes underlying important traits in medicinal crops, including, but not limited to nutritional quality, active metabolites, and biotic and abiotic stress tolerance.
• The in vitro micropropagation and elicitation of medicinal crops.
• The application of molecular breeding technology, including gene editing, molecular markers, and multi-omics (e.g., genome, proteome, and transcriptome), which can improve medicinal crops and adaptability.
• Active metabolites (such as polysaccharides, alkaloids, anthocyanins, flavone, vitamins, terpenes, aromatic substances, etc.) in medicinal crops beneficial for human health.
• The development of speed breeding and other new technologies for improving germplasms, which provides faster and more precise strategies for the breeder.

Dr. Zhenming Yu
Guest Editor

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