Exploring the Impact of Drought Stress on Growth, Development, and Quality in Cash Crops and Its Mechanisms

Cash crops (such as coffee, cotton, sugarcane, soybean, grape, wheat, tomato, etc.) serve as a vital pillar of the global agricultural economy and a key source of high-quality food, fiber and industrial raw materials. Their market value derives not only from yield but crucially from their unique flavor, aroma, visual characteristics, and processing qualities, among other core attributes. However, in the context of global climate change, the increasing frequency and severity of drought stress seriously threatens the stable production of cash crops. Drought not only directly inhibits the growth and development of cash crops, leading to yield losses, but also disrupts their metabolic pathways and impairs quality traits, causing significant economic losses. Therefore, elucidating the response mechanisms of cash crops to drought stress holds significant theoretical and practical importance.This Research Topic aims to systematically investigate the adaptation mechanisms of cash crops to drought stress and promote the transformation of basic research into breeding practices and cultivation innovations. We will conduct in-depth studies at multiple levels, including gene mining, physiology and biochemistry, and cultivation systems, to investigate the underlying basis and regulatory network of cash crop drought tolerance, and focus on analyzing key scientific issues such as the genetic basis of drought resistance, stress signal transduction, and metabolic remodeling. We will focus on key scientific questions including the genetic basis of drought resistance, stress signal transduction, and metabolic remodeling. Concurrently, we will systematically evaluate the impact patterns of drought stress on key agronomic traits in cash crops, encompassing growth dynamics, yield components, and quality attributes. These research outcomes will provide theoretical foundations and innovative strategies for developing new varieties with comprehensive stress resilience and for establishing efficient cultivation techniques.We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:1. Physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms underlying drought perception, signal transduction, and adaptive responses in cash crops.2. Identification, functional characterization, and regulatory networks of key drought-responsive genes, transcription factors, and signaling molecules (e.g., ABA, MAPK, and Ca²⁺ pathways).3. Exploration and genetic evaluation of drought-tolerant germplasm, integrating quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and genomic selection approaches.4. Metabolic and structural remodeling under drought stress, including osmoprotectant accumulation, antioxidant defense systems, and effects on yield and quality formation pathways.5. Integrative biotechnological, breeding, and agronomic innovations (e.g., CRISPR/Cas-mediated editing, marker-assisted breeding, and optimized irrigation regimes) for enhancing drought resilience and resource-use efficiency in cash crops. We encourage submissions of various article types, including original research, reviews, methods and perspectives. We look forward to contributions that provide new theoretical insights and technical support to advance drought resistance research in cash crops and promote sustainable industry development. Topic editors: Xiaoyu Yang, Wei Zhao, Wenjie Lu, Juan Li Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/76446/exploring-the-impact-of-drought-stress-on-growth-development-and-quality-in-cash-crops-and-its-mechanisms