Biological Control of Plant Diseases: Challenges and Opportunities
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: 10 August 2026 | Viewed by 341
Special Issue Editors
Interests: plant pathology; biological control; integrated control; biocontrol agents; soil-borne pathogens; postharvest diseases
Interests: postharvest diseases; biological control; mycotoxins; table grapes; pomegranate
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: plant pathology; biological control; integrated control; biocontrol agents; plant phytopathogenic bacteria; fungal pathogens; molecular plant pathology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Plant pathogens cause significant global yield losses and are showing declining sensitivity to conventional chemical controls. Environmental changes, the overuse of synthetic pesticides, and the growing demand for sustainable agriculture pose major challenges to effective and safe disease management. Beneficial microorganisms such as antagonistic fungi and bacteria, along with naturally derived compounds from plant, animal, microbial, or mineral sources, offer environmentally friendly alternatives that reduce reliance on chemical pesticides.
Research on biocontrol agents (BCAs) and naturally derived products (NDPs) has steadily increased over recent decades, leading to numerous bioformulations now available worldwide. However, their performance can be inconsistent when not integrated into appropriate disease management frameworks or used under unfavorable environmental conditions.
To enhance the effectiveness and applicability of these bioformulations, a deeper understanding of product selection criteria, mechanisms of action, and interactions among biocontrol products, plants, the environment, and farming systems is required. Simplifying regulatory and registration procedures is also essential to accelerate the introduction of innovative and efficient bioproducts in the market.
Finally, the integration of molecular and biotechnological tools can significantly contribute to optimizing biocontrol agent selection and application strategies.
This Special Issue aims to update researchers and stakeholders on the latest advancements in the development and application of new sustainable solutions for global plant disease management. Original research or review articles addressing innovative means, methods and strategies for the selection, evaluation, and development of effective biocontrol products applicable to diverse crop species within the framework of sustainable agriculture are welcome.
Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Lima
Prof. Dr. Antonio Ippolito
Dr. Carmine Del Grosso
Guest Editors
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
- biological control
- biocontrol agents
- antagonistic beneficial microorganisms
- natural compounds
- biocontrol strategies
- integrating biocontrol agents into farming systems
- sustainable agriculture
- environmental impact on biocontrol products
- effect of pesticides on biocontrol agents
- biocontrol and biotechnology
- biocontrol agents registration pathways
- biocontrol agents formulation
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