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Agriculture
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Biocontrol Agents for Plant Pest Management
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Biocontrol Agents for Plant Pest Management

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Protection, Diseases, Pests and Weeds".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2026) | Viewed by 6929

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Yi-Hsien Lin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan
Interests: biological control; plant pests; fermentation; plant pathogenic bacteria; plant immunity; plant pathology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant diseases and pests have long been the biggest challenge in agricultural production. In the demand for sustainable agriculture, combining multiple approaches to reduce the use of chemical agents and the occurrence of pesticide resistance in pathogens and insects is an important issue. Among them, the development of various agents and technologies based on the concept of biological control has been a popular research topic in recent years. Examples of related topics that are of interest for this Special Issue include the following: 1. innovative biocontrol strategies, focusing on new methods and technologies in biocontrol; 2. greenhouse and field trails, highlighting successful applications of biocontrol agents in various crops; 3. integration with other pest management practices, examining how biocontrol can be effectively integrated into traditional pest management approaches. This Special Issue aims to collect manuscripts on the aforementioned topics to inspire more ideas for agricultural applications.

Prof. Dr. Yi-Hsien Lin
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • agricultural management
  • plant pests
  • plant diseases
  • biocontrol agents
  • biocontrol techniques
  • integrated pest management

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 4563 KB  
Article
Characterizing the Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti Species Complex Associated with Muskmelon Wilt and Evaluating the Biocontrol Potential of Bacillus subtilis MCLB2
by Jui-Hsin Chang, Yu-Hsuan Chen, Jenn-Wen Huang and Tzu-Pi Huang
Agriculture 2026, 16(8), 900; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16080900 - 18 Apr 2026
Viewed by 400
Abstract
Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) is an economically important crop that remains highly susceptible to destructive fungal diseases, including gummy stem blight, downy mildew, Fusarium wilt, and anthracnose. Although fungicides and resistant cultivars are widely used, reliance on chemical control raises concerns regarding [...] Read more.
Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) is an economically important crop that remains highly susceptible to destructive fungal diseases, including gummy stem blight, downy mildew, Fusarium wilt, and anthracnose. Although fungicides and resistant cultivars are widely used, reliance on chemical control raises concerns regarding environmental safety, food quality, and the emergence of fungicide-resistant pathogen populations. Consequently, microbial biopesticides, particularly Bacillus species, have attracted increasing attention as sustainable alternatives. In this study, muskmelon plants exhibiting leaf wilting, chlorosis, and stem yellowing were collected from Guangming Farm in Wufeng, Taichung, Taiwan, and associated pathogens were isolated from stem tissues and identified to determine the causal agent of these symptoms. In addition, the biocontrol efficacy of Bacillus subtilis strain MCLB2 against melon fruit rot, as well as its underlying mechanisms, was evaluated. Pathogenicity assays confirmed that isolate F01 was the causal agent. Based on morphological characteristics and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence analysis, this isolate showed 99.8% identity to Fusarium pernambucanum URM 7559 (GenBank accession no. NR_163754), and phylogenetic analysis further placed it within the Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC). Antagonistic assays demonstrated that B. subtilis MCLB2 significantly inhibited mycelial growth and suppressed the spore germination of F. pernambucanum. In addition, culture filtrates of strain MCLB2 effectively reduced Fusarium-induced fruit rot in melon and disrupted fungal cellular respiration. Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analysis revealed that the strain produced surfactin-family lipopeptides. In conclusion, B. subtilis MCLB2 exhibits potential as a sustainable biocontrol agent for managing Fusarium fruit rot in melon, likely through surfactin-mediated disruption of fungal cellular respiration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biocontrol Agents for Plant Pest Management)
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16 pages, 5750 KB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Photorhabdus luminescens Strains for Biological Control of Tetranychus truncatus: Novel Insights from Strain 2103-RUVI
by Li-Hsin Wu, Kuan-Min Yang, Xin-Ci Hong, Feng-Chia Hsieh and Chienyan Hsieh
Agriculture 2026, 16(3), 327; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16030327 - 28 Jan 2026
Viewed by 678
Abstract
The increasing resistance of agricultural pests to conventional pesticides necessitates the development of alternative biological control strategies. This study evaluated the acaricidal potential of two Photorhabdus luminescens strains (0805-P2R and the newly isolated 2103-RUVI) against the spider mite Tetranychus truncatus. Culture conditions [...] Read more.
The increasing resistance of agricultural pests to conventional pesticides necessitates the development of alternative biological control strategies. This study evaluated the acaricidal potential of two Photorhabdus luminescens strains (0805-P2R and the newly isolated 2103-RUVI) against the spider mite Tetranychus truncatus. Culture conditions were optimized using a Taguchi L9(34) design to maximize growth, protease activity, and acaricidal efficacy. The optimized medium for strain 2103-RUVI achieved 90% mortality against T. truncatus at 72 h, compared to 83% for strain 0805-P2R under equivalent conditions. Genomic analysis identified putative phosphoporin PhoE genes exclusively in 2103-RUVI, which may contribute to its enhanced virulence, although this association remains correlative and requires functional validation. Histopathological observations confirmed severe tissue disruption in treated mites. Comparative analysis demonstrated complex, strain-specific relationships among bacterial growth, enzyme activity, and acaricidal effects. These results highlight the potential of the P. luminescens strain 2103-RUVI as an effective biocontrol agent, providing insights for its application in sustainable integrated pest management programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biocontrol Agents for Plant Pest Management)
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14 pages, 6279 KB  
Article
Increasing Light Intensity Enhances Bacillus amyloliquefaciens PMB05-Mediated Plant Immunity and Improves Biocontrol of Bacterial Wilt
by Sin-Hua Li, Ai-Ting Li, Ming-Qiao Shi, Yi-Xuan Lu, Li-Ya Hong, Hsing-Ying Chung and Yi-Hsien Lin
Agriculture 2025, 15(20), 2110; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15202110 - 10 Oct 2025
Viewed by 1695
Abstract
Bacterial wilt is a highly destructive disease affecting a wide range of crops, with no effective chemical control methods currently available. Consequently, the development of microbial strategies for disease management has become increasingly important. Among these, plant immunity-intensifying microbes have demonstrated promising efficacy [...] Read more.
Bacterial wilt is a highly destructive disease affecting a wide range of crops, with no effective chemical control methods currently available. Consequently, the development of microbial strategies for disease management has become increasingly important. Among these, plant immunity-intensifying microbes have demonstrated promising efficacy in controlling bacterial wilt. However, the influence of environmental factors, particularly light intensity, on the effectiveness of these microbes remains unclear. Light intensity is a critical regulator of the photosynthetic system and plant biochemical functions, including defense responses. In this study, we specifically utilized Arabidopsis plants grown under distinct light intensities to systematically examine how light conditions affect the induction of plant immune responses and the occurrence of bacterial wilt. Our findings revealed that Arabidopsis grown under high light intensity exhibited significantly stronger immune responses and reduced disease severity, compared to plants grown under low light intensity. Further, application of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens PMB05, a plant immunity-intensifying strain, resulted in more pronounced immune signaling and disease control efficacy under high light conditions. Experiments using salicylic acid (SA)-deficient mutants demonstrated that disruption of the SA pathway abolished the enhanced suppression of bacterial wilt conferred by B. amyloliquefaciens PMB05 under high light intensity, indicating that the SA pathway is indispensable for PMB05-mediated disease resistance. Moreover, the validation experiments in tomato plants supported these results, with B. amyloliquefaciens PMB05 significantly reducing bacterial wilt development under high light intensity. Collectively, our study demonstrates that growing plants under varying light intensities provides critical insights into how environmental conditions modulate the effectiveness of plant immunity-intensifying microbes, offering a potential strategy for integrated disease management in crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biocontrol Agents for Plant Pest Management)
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17 pages, 1416 KB  
Article
Humic Substances Promote the Activity of Enzymes Related to Plant Resistance
by Rakiely M. Silva, Fábio L. Olivares, Lázaro E. P. Peres, Etelvino H. Novotny and Luciano P. Canellas
Agriculture 2025, 15(15), 1688; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15151688 - 5 Aug 2025
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2024
Abstract
The extensive use of pesticides has significant implications for public health and the environment. Breeding crop plants is the most effective and environmentally friendly approach to improve the plants’ resistance. However, it is time-consuming and costly, and it is sometimes difficult to achieve [...] Read more.
The extensive use of pesticides has significant implications for public health and the environment. Breeding crop plants is the most effective and environmentally friendly approach to improve the plants’ resistance. However, it is time-consuming and costly, and it is sometimes difficult to achieve satisfactory results. Plants induce defense responses to natural elicitors by interpreting multiple genes that encode proteins, including enzymes, secondary metabolites, and pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins. These responses characterize systemic acquired resistance. Humic substances trigger positive local and systemic physiological responses through a complex network of hormone-like signaling pathways and can be used to induce biotic and abiotic stress resistance. This study aimed to assess the effect of humic substances on the activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), peroxidase (POX), and β-1,3-glucanase (GLU) used as a resistance marker in various plant species, including orange, coffee, sugarcane, soybeans, maize, and tomato. Seedlings were treated with a dilute aqueous suspension of humic substances (4 mM C L−1) as a foliar spray or left untreated (control). Leaf tissues were collected for enzyme assessment two days later. Humic substances significantly promoted the systemic acquired resistance marker activities compared to the control in all independent assays. Overall, all enzymes studied in this work, PAL, GLUC, and POX, showed an increase in activity by 133%, 181%, and 149%, respectively. Among the crops studied, citrus and coffee achieved the highest activity increase in all enzymes, except for POX in coffee, which showed a decrease of 29% compared to the control. GLUC exhibited the highest response to HS treatment, the enzyme most prominently involved in increasing enzymatic activity in all crops. Plants can improve their resistance to pathogens through the exogenous application of HSs as this promotes the activity of enzymes related to plant resistance. Finally, we consider the potential use of humic substances as a natural chemical priming agent to boost plant resistance in agriculture Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biocontrol Agents for Plant Pest Management)
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Review

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24 pages, 2020 KB  
Review
Improving Crop Resilience in Drought-Prone Agroecosystems: Bioinoculants and Biocontrol Strategies from Climate-Adaptive Microorganisms
by Dulanjalee L. Harishchandra, Anuruddha Karunarathna, Sukanya Haituk, Sirikanlaya Sittihan, Thitima Wongwan and Ratchadawan Cheewangkoon
Agriculture 2025, 15(23), 2479; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15232479 - 28 Nov 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 947
Abstract
Agricultural production is becoming increasingly difficult due to various environmental fluctuations brought on by climate change. Overall increase in atmospheric temperatures due to greenhouse gases, changing rainfall patterns leading to severe water shortages, and deforestation have led to many areas facing drought conditions, [...] Read more.
Agricultural production is becoming increasingly difficult due to various environmental fluctuations brought on by climate change. Overall increase in atmospheric temperatures due to greenhouse gases, changing rainfall patterns leading to severe water shortages, and deforestation have led to many areas facing drought conditions, causing more stress for producing enough food crops to fulfil increasing global demand. This is also exacerbated by emerging phytopathogens causing severe disease outbreaks, making it difficult to control them without drastic measures. Excessive use of agrochemicals in these areas could lead to more ecological displacements and therefore, sustainable agricultural practices are required to avoid causing more harm. Microorganisms with climate-adaptive characteristics and qualities that would be helpful in acting as bioinoculants and biological control, could prove to be more successful in sustainably controlling emerging pathogens as well as improving the overall plant immunity and health in drought affected areas. We discuss how climate change driven changes in farming areas have made them vulnerable towards emerging pathogens, and highlight how biological control agents can be successfully utilized to possibly overcome this without causing more environmental damage. This review provides a background for future research by linking the climate adaptive characteristics of microorganisms with biocontrol and plant health improving capabilities and how they can effectively be used for eco-friendly agricultural practices in agroecosystems impacted by climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biocontrol Agents for Plant Pest Management)
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