Orphan crop genomics and improvement

Feeding a growing world population and adapting to climate change requires a sustainable and diversified food supply system. Orphan crops are usually well-adapted for low-input agricultural conditions. These crops are typically grown in Africa, Asia, and South America and they not only play vital roles in local areas but also contribute to food and nutritional needs worldwide. However, orphan crops have often been neglected by the scientific community with little to none investment into research and genetic improvements. Rapid advancement in, and development of, genomic tools provides opportunities to generate genomic resources to facilitate breeding of orphan crops. This Orphan Crop Genomics and Improvement Collection welcomes submissions to Nature Communications, Scientific Reports, and npj Sustainable Agriculture on orphan crops genomics, genetics, and breeding. Topics of interest include genome assembly, population genetics, mark-trait association study, gene cloning, and breeding technique development and implementation.

All participating journals invite submissions of original research, with Nature Communications and npj Sustainable Agriculture also considering Reviews, Perspectives and Comments which fall within the scope of the collection. All submissions will be subject to the same peer review process and editorial standards as other articles submitted to the participating journals.