Artificial intelligence and digital phenotyping shape the future of plant breeding: evolution, challenges, and a roadmap from AI breeding 1.0 to 2.0
Available online 22 August 2026
Traditional breeding is approaching its efficiency limit in addressing global food security challenges, climate change, and multi-dimensional information integration. Artificial intelligence (AI) and...
Meiosis in plants: From understanding to manipulation
December 2025
Meiosis is an indispensable process in sexual reproduction, involving the recombination of genetic information and the production of haploid gamete cells through the segregation of sister chromatids....
Risk assessment of RNAi-based biopesticides
December 2024
RNA interference (RNAi) is an efficient molecular approach in which double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) can effectively knock down the expression of certain genes, promoting mRNA degradation, and gene function...
Current perspectives on improving soybean performance on saline-alkaline lands
October 2026
Soil salinity is an increasing threat to global food security and environmental sustainability. Soybean, the leading dietary protein and oil content crop in animal feed, also provides humans with 30%...
Insights into plant–microbe interactions in the rhizosphere to promote sustainable agriculture in the new crops era
December 2024
Microbes accompany plants throughout their entire lifecycles, from seeds to ripe fruits. Plant–microbe interactions have long been a focus of research in many subdisciplines, leading to thousands of...
Regulatory mechanisms and breeding strategies for crop drought resistance
December 2024
Drought is a primary abiotic stress affecting crops, leading to plant stomatal closure, reduced photosynthetic capacity, and reduced yields or even harvest failure. Severe drought can adversely impact...
Molecular mechanisms of rice seed germination
December 2025
Rice is a fundamental dietary worldwide. With the increasing adoption of direct seeding in rice cultivation, the need for rapid and synchronized germination, even under submerged conditions, has become...
How does salicylic acid activate plant immunity?
October 2026
Salicylic acid (SA) is a phytohormone central to plant immune responses, orchestrating both local defense and systemic acquired resistance (SAR), a broad-spectrum and long-lasting immune state. Upon...
Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab: A functional core of transgenic maize
October 2026
Transgenic maize expressing insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), primarily Cry proteins, has become a cornerstone of Integrated Pest Management strategies against major lepidopteran...
Osmotic stress perception through phase separation is essential for plant survival
October 2026
Plants are frequently exposed to osmotic stress, making the detection of environmental osmotic fluctuations essential for their survival and development. Recent advances highlight the Arabidopsis Decapping...
The central role of transcription factors in bridging biotic and abiotic stress responses for plants’ resilience
December 2024
Throughout their life cycle, plants encounter a myriad of challenges arising from both abiotic and biotic stresses, which significantly impact crop yield and nutritional content. In natural ecological...
Molecular mechanisms underlying plant responses to low phosphate stress and potential applications in crop improvement
December 2025
Phosphorus is a critical nutrient for plant growth, influencing crop development and yield. However, the excessive reliance on phosphate fertilizers to address inorganic phosphate (Pi) deficiency is...
Advances in understanding the plant-Ralstonia solanacearum interactions: Unraveling the dynamics, mechanisms, and implications for crop disease resistance
December 2024
Plant diseases caused by various pathogenic microorganisms can cause substantial reductions in agricultural crop yield and quality, resulting in significant economic losses and posing a threat to global...
Thermosensory regulation of the floral transition and floral organogenesis
October 2026
Climate change-induced heat stress poses a significant threat to plant reproductive success and crop yields by disrupting both the floral transition and floral organ development. This review explores...
AI breeder: Genomic predictions for crop breeding
December 2024
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into crop breeding represents a paradigm shift toward data-driven agricultural practices, aiming to enhance the efficiency and precision of crop improvement....
Strategies in quantitative trait locus mapping for complex traits in maize
October 2026
Maize (Zea mays L.) is central to global food security and agricultural sustainability, serving as an important source of food, animal feed, and renewable bioenergy. However, improving maize productivity...
Current advances in plant mitochondria: Application revolution of cytoplasmic male sterility
October 2026
Plant mitochondria are vital organelles that play a decisive role in key agricultural traits, including cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS). CMS has been a cornerstone in the hybrid breeding of crops....
The hormonal, metabolic, and environmental regulation of plant shoot branching
December 2024
Plants have evolved varied structures for environmental adaptation. Shoot branching, as a part of plant architecture, influences the allocation of sugars produced by photosynthesis and thus greatly...
Genetic resource utilization in wild rice species: Genomes and gene bank
December 2025
Rice stands as one of the foremost staple crops globally. The rice domestication and selective breeding processes have led to the loss or attenuation of numerous beneficial genes, resulting in a constrained...
Crop designs: The ideal root architecture for future crop breeding
December 2024
Root system architecture, a crucial agronomic trait for sustainable crop production, is influenced by a variety of internal developmental signals and external environmental factors. In this review,...
The role of epigenetics in tomato stress adaptation
December 2025
Climate change poses a major challenge to agriculture, affecting crop production through shifting weather patterns and an increase in extreme conditions such as heat waves, droughts, and floods, all...
Genomic and modern biotechnological strategies for enhancing salt tolerance in crops
December 2025
Extreme climate change and rapid population growth present significant challenges to global food security. Among these challenges, salt stress is a critical abiotic factor adversely affecting agricultural...
Advances in understanding molecular regulatory mechanisms of leaf angle
October 2026
Leaf angle (LA), defined as the inclination between the leaf blade and stem, is a key morphological trait that influences both photosynthetic efficiency and plant architecture. As a critical determinant...
Jasmonate-mediated defense coordination in the cereal–pathogen arms race
October 2026
Global food production depends largely on cereal crops such as rice (Oryza sativa L.), maize (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum spp.), and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). Plant pathogens, including fungi, bacteria,...
The molecular associations between the SnRK1 complex and carbon/nitrogen metabolism in plants
December 2024
Sucrose non-fermenting1 (SNF1)-related kinase 1 (SnRK1) serves as a conserved molecular entity in plants, responding to energy stresses such as prolonged darkness, hypoxia, and photosynthesis inhibition....