Molecular and Physiological Mechanisms Underlying Abiotic Stress Responses in Cucurbit Crops

Cucurbit crops, including cucumber, melon, watermelon, squash, and pumpkin, represent an important group of horticultural species cultivated worldwide for their nutritional and economic value. However, climate change and increasing environmental variability expose cucurbit crops to a range of abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, heat, cold, and nutrient imbalances, which significantly affect growth, productivity, and fruit quality.The goal of this Research Topic is to provide new insights into the genetic and physiological basis of stress tolerance in cucurbit crops, ultimately supporting the development of climate-resilient varieties and sustainable horticultural production systems.By maintaining a focused framework around cucurbit crops and abiotic stress responses, while allowing coverage of multiple species and stress factors, the collection aims to achieve both scientific depth and sufficient breadth to engage researchers working across the cucurbit research field.This Research Topic will focus on molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying abiotic stress responses in cucurbit crops, with particular emphasis on functional genomics approaches. Contributions addressing gene discovery, gene characterization, genome editing technologies (e.g., CRISPR/Cas systems), transcriptomics, proteomics, and epigenetic regulation involved in stress adaptation are especially encouraged. Studies exploring physiological responses, stress signaling pathways, and integrative breeding strategies aimed at improving abiotic stress resilience in cucurbits are also welcome. Topic editors: Hamza Sohail, Xuewen Xu, Harmeet Kaur Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79320/molecular-and-physiological-mechanisms-underlying-abiotic-stress-responses-in-cucurbit-crops