Editorial
Current research and future prospects in common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum)
2020 Volume 70 Issue 1 Pages 1
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2020 Volume 70 Issue 1 Pages 1
Common buckwheat originated in the southwestern region of China, and subsequently became a widespread crop in the northern hemisphere of the Old World. Human beings have cultivated this crop as a starch source for over 4,000 years, and buckwheat is a key ingredient in many traditional foods. In addition to being rich in starch, buckwheat is gluten free and has an excellent nutritional profile, with a well-balanced amino acid composition, and is rich in vitamins, fiber and minerals. Buckwheat grain also contains flavonoids such as rutin, which have considerable antioxidant potential. Based on these favorable properties, buckwheat is recognized as a health-promoting food and is cultivated in countries around the world.
An important step towards achieving sustainable, healthy diets (FAO and WHO 2019) is promoting the use of food biodiversity, including traditional and local foods derived from nutrient-rich plants. Thus, global understudied crops, such as common buckwheat, are emerging as important breeding targets. Indeed, breeding studies involving common buckwheat have been blooming; we thus believe this is an opportune moment to publish a special issue on buckwheat.
The current issue of Breeding Science presents ten review articles and four original research papers focused on buckwheat breeding. It is with great pleasure that we introduce these papers to all who are interested in this promising orphan crop and are working to develop strategies to achieve food security and healthy food systems. The review articles focus on a range of topics pertaining to buckwheat breeding, including current breeding practices in Japan; molecular information infrastructure (e.g., development of a genome database); genomic breeding; species classification; heredity of heterostylous self-incompatibility; and major agronomic traits, such as nutritional quality and allergen levels. Although these topics have been reviewed extensively for major cereals, this is the first instance of buckwheat being featured in a special issue. The four original research papers report recent achievements. Only a few laboratories in Japan focus on the genetics and breeding of buckwheat. Researchers from most of these laboratories, along with international experts in the field, have contributed to this special issue. We are delighted that our genetics and breeding research on common buckwheat has progressed to this milestone of being showcased in a special issue of Breeding Science.
