Call for Papers: Synergizing Nanotechnology and Advanced Breeding for Climate-Resilient Crops

This joint Special Issue between Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and ACS Agricultural Science & Technology focuses on the transformative convergence of nanotechnology and advanced breeding, offering a comprehensive roadmap to engineer the next generation of climate-resilient crops amid mounting global food security pressures. We invite contributions that span the entire innovation pipeline from the development of smart nano-carriers for the precise delivery of CRISPR/Cas9, RNAi, and other gene-editing tools, to the deployment of cutting-edge breeding frameworks that integrate speed breeding, genomic selection, and predictive modeling for rapid trait introgression.

The integration of real-time nano-sensors with UAV-based and AI-enabled high-throughput phenomics is presented as a critical enabler for precision breeding and predictive climate adaptation. Additionally, we welcome research on holistic crop management strategies that synergize nano-bioformulations with beneficial microbiomes (e.g., PGPRs) and biopolymer-capped metal nanoparticles to enhance sustainable crop protection.

Beyond fundamental science, this issue addresses the practical and regulatory dimensions of nano-enabled agriculture, including field performance assessments, food safety evaluations, sustainable packaging integration, and region-specific deployment challenges, particularly in climate-vulnerable regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa. By consolidating these diverse yet interconnected disciplines, this Special Issue expresses its commitment to providing a comprehensive roadmap for developing high-yielding, nutritionally superior, and climate-adapted crops, fostering a new era of interdisciplinary innovation at the nexus of materials science, genetics, and sustainable agriculture.

Topics include, but are not limited to:

• Nanoparticle-mediated mitigation of drought, heat, salinity, and heavy metal stress
• Regulation of photosynthesis, redox homeostasis, and the accumulation of bioactive compounds in major crops, including cereals, oilseeds, and under-utilized or neglected species
• Multi-omics approaches, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and interactomics, applied to:
  • Molecular mechanisms of nanomaterial uptake and translocation
  • Transgenerational effects
  • Plant-nanoparticle signaling networks

Participating Journals:

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry for manuscripts related to the chemistry and biochemistry of agriculture and food

ACS Agricultural Science & Technology for manuscripts related to agricultural science, technology, and engineering

Guest Editors

Prof. Dr. Weijun Zhou
Zhejiang University, China

Prof. Dr. Ling Xu
Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, China

Prof. Dr. Leonardo Fernandes Fraceto
São Paulo State University (UNESP), Brazil

Dr. Najeeb Ullah
Qatar University, Qatar

Dr. Ahsan Ayyaz
Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, China

Submission Information

We welcome submissions for this Special Issue through January 31, 2027. For more information on submission requirements, please visit the Author Guidelines for Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and ACS Agricultural Science & Technology.

Manuscript types considered for this Special Issue include all types available in either journal. All submissions will undergo the full, rigorous peer review process expected from ACS journals. Papers accepted for publication in this Special Issue will be available ASAP (as soon as publishable) online. Once all accepted papers are published, they will be compiled on a dedicated landing page to form the Special Issue.

Open Access: There are diverse open access options for publications in American Chemical Society journals. Please visit our Open Science Resource Center for more information.

How to Submit

• Log in to the ACS Publishing Center and select Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry or ACS Agricultural Science & Technology.
• Select your manuscript type; upload your manuscript and related files.
• Review the title and abstract fields to confirm any pre-populated information has transferred correctly.
• Under “Special Issue Selection,” select Synergizing Nanotechnology and Advanced Breeding for Climate-Resilient Crops.
• Confirm all other information is correct.
• Submit your article.

If you have any general questions regarding submission to this Special Issue, please contact managing.editor@jafc.acs.org.