Wild Plant Species as Potential Horticultural Crops: An Opportunity for Farmers and Consumers, 2nd Edition

Increasing pressure on global food systems, driven by climate change, biodiversity loss, and rising demand for nutritious foods, has intensified interest in alternative, climateresilient, and underutilized crop resources. In this context, wild plant species are the subject of renewed scientific and agronomic attention for their potential to diversify horticultural production, enhance sustainability, and provide novel economic opportunities for farmers while satisfying evolving consumer preferences. Traditionally gathered from natural ecosystems, many wild edible and medicinal plants possess valuable nutritional and phytochemical properties, as well as adaptive traits that make them promising candidates for sustainable horticulture. Their domestication and integration into modern horticultural systems create new opportunities for farmers to diversify production and income sources while enabling consumers to access novel, health-promoting products aligned with local food traditions and environmentally responsible diets. Moreover, their cultivation may reduce harvesting pressure on wild populations and support biodiversity conservation efforts. In line with this perspective, recent research has progressively moved beyond descriptive ethnobotanical studies toward tackling the practical challenges of domestication and commercialization, with increasing consideration of cultivation feasibility, agronomic management, product quality, and the functional traits of wild species. Building on the framework proposed by Chrysargyris et al. [1], the contributions to this second edition demonstrate how wild and underutilized species can move from conceptual opportunities to applied horticultural innovations while preserving their functional and cultural value.