The Editorial Office of Frontiers in Plant Science would like to thank all the Chief Editors, Associate Editors and Review Editors that played an integral part in Frontiers’ innovative Collaborative Peer-Review process in 2020. In particular, we would like to recognize and thank Prof. Joshua L. Heazlewood – our now former Field Chief Editor, for his commitment, support and enthusiasm for the Plant Science field. Josh’s dedication and leadership has helped Frontiers in Plant Science become the most cited journal in the field with a strong editorial community. Looking forward, we’re excited to welcome Prof. Yunde Zhao, as our new Field Chief Editor in 2021. Having been with Frontiers in Plant Science since 2017, Yunde has contributed extensively to the development of the journal and will continue to ensure the journal goes from strength to strength.

Plant proteases are involved in most aspects of plant physiology and development, playing key roles in the generation of signaling molecules and as regulators of essential cellular processes such as cell division and metabolism. They take part in important pathways like protein turnover by the degradation of misfolded proteins and the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, and they are responsible for post-translational modifications of proteins by proteolysis at highly specific sites. Proteases are also implicated in a great variety of environmentally controlled processes, including mobilization of storage proteins during seed germination, development of seedlings, senescence, programmed cell death and defense mechanisms against pests and pathogens. However, in spite of their importance, little is known about the functions and mode of actions of specific plant proteases. This Research Topic collects contributions covering diverse aspects of plant proteases research.

In recent years, significant advancements have been made in the management of nutritional deficiency using genome engineering—enriching the nutritional properties of agricultural and horticultural crop plants such as wheat, rice, potatoes, grapes, and bananas. To meet the demands of the rapidly growing world population, researchers are developing a range of new genome engineering tools and strategies, from increasing the nutraceuticals in cereals and fruits, to decreasing the anti-nutrients in crop plants to improve the bioavailability of minerals and vitamins. Genome Engineering for Crop Improvement provides an up-to-date view of the use of genome editing for crop bio-fortification, improved bioavailability of minerals and nutrients, and enhanced hypo-allergenicity and hypo-immunogenicity. This volume examines a diversity of important topics including mineral and nutrient localization, metabolic engineering of carotenoids and flavonoids, genome engineering of zero calorie potatoes and allergen-free grains, engineering for stress resistance in crop plants, and more. Helping readers deepen their knowledge of the application of genome engineering in crop improvement, this book: Presents genetic engineering methods for developing edible oil crops, mineral translocation in grains, increased flavonoids in tomatoes, and cereals with enriched iron bioavailability Describes current genome engineering methods and the distribution of nutritional and mineral composition in important crop plants Offers perspectives on emerging technologies and the future of genome engineering in agriculture Genome Engineering for Crop Improvement is an essential resource for academics, scientists, researchers, agriculturalists, and students of plant molecular biology, system biology, plant biotechnology, and functional genomics.

Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes is a unique, five volume reference that provides a global synthesis of biomes, including the latest science. All of the book's chapters follow a common thematic order that spans biodiversity importance, principal anthropogenic stressors and trends, changing climatic conditions, and conservation strategies for maintaining biomes in an increasingly human-dominated world. This work is a one-stop shop that gives users access to up-to-date, informative articles that go deeper in content than any currently available publication. Offers students and researchers a one-stop shop for information currently only available in scattered or non-technical sources Authored and edited by top scientists in the field Concisely written to guide the reader though the topic Includes meaningful illustrations and suggests further reading for those needing more specific information

Perennial Grasses for Bioenergy and Bioproducts: Production, Uses, Sustainability and Markets for Giant Reed, Miscanthus, Switchgrass, Reed Canary Grass and Bamboo brings together a team of international authors to explore the current utilization, sustainability and future perspectives of perennial grasses in the bioeconomy. The book begins by examining the role of these crops as feedstock for bioenergy, in particular advanced biofuels and bioproducts. It then offers five chapters, each covering one perennial grass type, namely giant reed, miscanthus, switchgrass, reed canary grass and bamboo. The book covers their breeding, cultivation, harvesting, pre-treatment, economics and characterization. The book goes on to present the thermochemical conversion pathways for different types of feedstock. The last chapter explores issues concerning sustainability of perennial grasses, including their production in marginal lands. This thorough overview is a helpful reference for engineering researchers and professionals in the bioenergy sector, whose understanding of feedstock characterization, sustainability and production is critical in the development of conversion technologies. Those in the industrial crops sector will benefit from discussion of various issues surrounding crop production, which can guide their feedstock cultivation, harvesting and pre-treatment for specific conversion processes or end use. The book is also a useful resource for instructors and students in Masters and PhD programs in the area of biomass and energy crops. Policy makers and government agents involved in regulating the bioenergy and bioproducts sector will find comprehensive information to guide their decision making. - Explores the whole value chain of grassy feedstock for advanced biofuels and bioproducts, from cultivation to end use, including biomass characterization (physical properties, chemical composition, etc.) and conversion and sustainability - Examines the sustainability and economic factors related to perennial grasses and their conversion into biofuels and bioproducts - Includes a complete list of grasses relevant for energy uses, and tables with their current and expected future uses and markets

This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contact.

Understanding Soils of Mountainous Landscapes: Sustainable Use of Soil Ecosystem Services and Management focuses on the patterns and processes of mountainous soils, including threats due to the fragile nature of mountain ecosystems, and the conservation and management of soil ecosystem services and restoration processes. The book covers a balanced approach to land and resource management, ensuring that environmentally and socio-culturally sound interventions are developed and applied in the complex geophysical, ecological, and social landscapes of the world's mountain systems. The book provides holistic understanding of mountain soils to help environmental and soil scientists gain insight and develop new problem-solving approaches. With obvious up- and downstream linkages (e.g., a large proportion of urban canters globally depend on water that originates in the mountains) as well as globalization (e.g., continental-scale impacts of air pollution and climate change on glaciers), the long-range success of conservation measures in mountain regions requires that the following discrete but interconnected interventions be pursued concurrently: (1) the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services, (2) empowerment of mountain communities (including family farming), and (3) elaboration of more thoughtful, context-specific policy environments for sustainable mountain development. - Offers comprehensive coverage of all aspects of mountain soils including climate change, ecosystem services, and threats - Focuses on exploring the human and anthropogenic challenges associated with the sustainable management of soils in mountain landscapes - Includes content on biochar-mediated microbial community dynamics

This anthology brings together a diversity of key texts in the emerging field of Existential Risk Studies. It serves to complement the previous volume The Era of Global Risk: An Introduction to Existential Risk Studies by providing open access to original research and insights in this rapidly evolving field. At its heart, this book highlights the ongoing development of new academic paradigms and theories of change that have emerged from a community of researchers in and around the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk. The chapters in this book challenge received notions of human extinction and civilization collapse and seek to chart new paths towards existential security and hope. The volume curates a series of research articles, including previously published and unpublished work, exploring the nature and ethics of catastrophic global risk, the tools and methodologies being developed to study it, the diverse drivers that are currently pushing it to unprecedented levels of danger, and the pathways and opportunities for reducing this. In each case, they go beyond simplistic and reductionist accounts of risk to understand how a diverse range of factors interact to shape both catastrophic threats and our vulnerability and exposure to them and reflect on different stakeholder communities, policy mechanisms, and theories of change that can help to mitigate and manage this risk. Bringing together experts from across diverse disciplines, the anthology provides an accessible survey of the current state of the art in this emerging field. The interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary nature of the cutting-edge research presented here makes this volume a key resource for researchers and academics. However, the editors have also prepared introductions and research highlights that will make it accessible to an interested general audience as well. Whatever their level of experience, the volume aims to challenge readers to take on board the extent of the multiple dangers currently faced by humanity, and to think critically and proactively about reducing global risk.