Dear Colleagues,

Currently, plant breeding is a global endeavour, harnessing the power of molecular genetics techniques to enhance efficiency. Molecular methods have also simplified the exploration of biodiversity, determination of sexes in dioecious crops during their early growth stages, and the selection of ideal parental pairs for crossbreeding. The integration of modern genomics has elevated the quality of outcomes in plant breeding. Recent methodological advances in genomics, biotechnology, molecular biology, and bioinformatics have ushered in a revolutionary era for plant breeding, forging strong connections with related fields. These breakthroughs have forged interdisciplinary frontiers in plant breeding, spanning quantitative genetics, genomics, agro-biotechnology, and bioinformatics.

The landscape of plant breeding has been dramatically transformed with the rapid advancement of plant biotechnology. Techniques such as marker-assisted selection (MAS), genomic selection (GS), transgenic technology and gene modification, haploid induction (HI), gene editing, synthetic biology, molecular design, and intelligent breeding have ushered in a new era – the era of molecular breeding. As a result, pivotal plant traits such as yield, quality, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and resistance to both abiotic and biotic stressors have witnessed substantial enhancements.

This Special Issue is dedicated to the utilization of molecular genetics and genomics methodologies at various stages of the plant breeding process. We welcome articles focusing on the creation of new molecular and cytogenetic markers, genome sequencing of agriculturally significant plants, and the examination of valuable genes and DNA repeats in the context of plant breeding. Submitted articles should showcase substantial experimental findings and appeal to a broad readership.