Genetic and metabolic insights into fibre crops: Functional genomics, stress adaptation, and molecular improvement

Fibre crop research sits at the intersection of plant genetics, metabolic biology, and biotechnology, representing a field with growing importance for sustainable industry and agriculture. Fibre plants such as cotton, flax, ramie, hemp, kenaf, jute, sisal, and roselle are not only fundamental raw materials for textiles but also sources of bioactive metabolites relevant to medicine, biocomposites, and phytoremediation. Although genomic data for many plant species are available in public databases, progress in translating these resources into functional insights for fibre crops remains limited compared with model and cereal crops. While substantial advances have arisen from studies in Arabidopsis thaliana, maize, and rice, the molecular understanding of fibre development, specialized metabolite biosynthesis, and stress tolerance in fibre crops remains fragmented. The persistent gap impedes effective genetic improvement and restricts broader applications in industrial and ecological systems.This Research Topic aims to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the genetic, molecular, and metabolic mechanisms underpinning the performance and improvement of fibre crops. The goal is to integrate recent omics advances—such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics—with innovative breeding and genome editing technologies. Specific objectives include identifying key genes controlling fibre quality and yield, elucidating regulatory networks in stress resistance and secondary metabolism, and developing strategies for the sustainable utilization of fibre crops. The Topic also encourages contributions that bridge fundamental gene discovery with translational applications, promoting the deployment of fibre crops in diversified agricultural and environmental contexts.To gather further insights into the genetics and specialized metabolism of fibre crops, we welcome contributions that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:o Functional and comparative genomics of fibre cropso Multi-omics integration for trait discovery and crop improvemento Genetic and molecular regulation of fibre development and qualityo Biotechnological and genome editing approaches for crop enhancemento Regulatory networks of stress tolerance and adaptive mechanismso Bioinformatics tools for gene function prediction and molecular breedingo Phytoremediation and ecological applications of fibre cropso Secondary metabolite biosynthesis and bioactive compound discoveryo Genetic improvement for industrial and medicinal utilizationo Cross-species insights from model plants to underexplored fibre crops Topic editors: Aminu Shehu Abubakar, Gang Gao, Subhojit Datta Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82390/genetic-and-metabolic-insights-into-fibre-crops-functional-genomics-stress-adaptation-and-molecular-improvement