Forage Crop Improvement for Improved Livestock Production and Nutrition - Volume II

This Research Topic is the second volume of Forage Crop Improvement for Improved Livestock Production and NutritionForage crops are fundamental to livestock production systems, providing the primary source of feed for ruminant animals worldwide. As global demand for animal products continues to increase, forage improvement remains essential for enhancing productivity, feed quality, and environmental sustainability. At the same time, forage production faces challenges arising from climate change, land degradation, water scarcity, and the need to reduce the environmental footprint of livestock systems. Although conventional breeding remains a cornerstone of forage improvement, the complexity of target traits and the urgency of current agricultural challenges require the integration of advanced genetics, genomic, phenomics, and biotechnological approaches to accelerate genetic progress and deliver the next generation of forage cultivars with improved resilience, productivity, and nutritional value.Since the publication of the Research Topic “Forage Crop Improvement for Improved Livestock Production and Nutrition”, significant advances have been made in plant genomics, phenomics, bioinformatics, and biotechnology. The increasing availability of reference genomes, pangenomes, multi-omics datasets, and advanced computational approaches has transformed our ability to dissect the genetic and molecular basis of complex traits in forage species. Likewise, developments in high-throughput phenotyping, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, genomic prediction, and advanced biotechnological approaches such as gene editing and genetic modification are transforming our ability to improve forage species, creating new opportunities to accelerate genetic gain, enhance breeding efficiency, and develop cultivars better adapted to future agricultural and environmental challenges.The integration of these technologies can enable researchers to better understand and exploit genetic diversity for traits associated with forage yield, quality, persistence, adaptation to biotic and abiotic stresses, nutrient-use efficiency, and ecosystem services. Emerging approaches, including genome editing, microbiome-assisted breeding, systems biology, and digital agriculture tools, further expand the possibilities for developing next-generation forage cultivars adapted to future production systems and environments.Volume II of the Research Topic aims to showcase research advancing the genetic improvement of forage species and their contribution to livestock productivity and sustainability. We encourage submissions that integrate research in areas such as molecular, physiological, biochemical, ecological, and computational approaches to improve our understanding of economically and environmentally important traits in forage crops.We particularly welcome integrative studies that combine advanced molecular tools with physiological, agronomic, and ecological analyses to provide mechanistic insights into forage performance and adaptation.Please note: Descriptive studies reporting responses of growth, yield, or forage quality to management or agronomic treatments will not be considered unless they substantially advance our understanding of the physiological, genetic, or molecular mechanisms underlying these responses. Topic editors: Russell Jessup, Jorge Fernando Pereira, Chris S Jones, Meki Shehabu Muktar Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80665/forage-crop-improvement-for-improved-livestock-production-and-nutrition---volume-ii