In vitro Approaches for Screening and Selecting Stress-tolerant Crop Genotypes

Plant tissue culture has become a fundamental tool in modern agricultural biotechnology, offering a controlled platform for genetic improvement and selection of superior crop genotypes. In vitro selection has emerged as an efficient and cost-effective approach to develop stress-tolerant plants by subjecting cultured tissues, organs, or cells to selective agents mimicking adverse environments. Abiotic stresses, including salinity, drought, and temperature extremes, pose the most significant and widespread threats to global crop yield and food security, though biotic stresses such as pathogen pressure also contribute substantially. Traditional breeding methods often fall short in generating consistent stress tolerance because of long breeding cycles and the complex inheritance of stress-related traits. Recent advances in tissue culture-based approaches, including somaclonal variation, in vitro mutagenesis, and genetic transformation, have shown promise for accelerating genetic gains and producing stress-resistant genotypes more efficiently. However, the integration of these in vitro techniques into scalable breeding pipelines and a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying in vitro stress responses remain critical research frontiers.This Research Topic aims to consolidate current knowledge and promote innovative research on in vitro selection methods for screening and developing stress-tolerant crop genotypes. It seeks to explore how tissue culture systems can mimic primarily abiotic, and where applicable, biotic-stress conditions and be used to select for enhanced tolerance traits. The objective is to identify robust selection media, methodologies, and molecular markers that improve the efficiency and reliability of in vitro screening while uncovering the physiological and genetic bases of stress adaptation. This Topic encourages contributions that bridge experimental studies and practical applications in plant improvement, focusing on the development of tolerant lines that translate effectively to the field.To gather further insights into the use of in vitro methodologies for developing stress-resilient crops, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Optimization of in vitro selection protocols for abiotic stresses (salt, drought, heat, heavy metals), with additional consideration of biotic stress where in vitro selection is the central approach.• Screening strategies using selective agents such as NaCl, PEG, mannitol, or phytotoxins.• Development and application of organogenic and embryogenic systems (calli, somatic embryos, cell suspensions) for stress tolerance screening.• Role of somaclonal variation, mutation induction, and genetic transformation in enhancing stress resistance.• Physiological, biochemical, and molecular characterization of in vitro-selected stress-tolerant lines.• Integration of in vitro selection with molecular breeding and omics approaches for crop improvement.• Case studies demonstrating successful transfer of in vitro-selected traits to field environments.We welcome original research articles, reviews, short communications, methods papers, and perspectives highlighting theoretical and applied aspects of in vitro selection for stress tolerance in crops. Topic editors: MONGOMAKE KONE, Ram Baran Singh, Oumar Doungous, Tanoh Hilaire Kouakou Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81923/in-vitro-approaches-for-screening-and-selecting-stress-tolerant-crop-genotypes