Progress and Innovations in Biological Control of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes

Dear Colleague,

Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) cause significant damage to crops worldwide, leading to substantial economic losses in agriculture. The management of these nematodes is mainly performed using synthetic chemical nematicides, which pose environmental risks and often result in the development of resistance among nematode populations. As a result, there has been a growing interest in the development and implementation of biological control methods as sustainable alternatives. These alternatives can involve the use of natural enemies, such as nematophagous fungi and bacteria or new resistant plants; discovering mechanisms of resistance is useful for their implementation in susceptible but more profitable species or varieties, phytochemicals, etc. Significant progress has been made in understanding plant–nematode interactions. This knowledge has allowed the development of innovative biological control strategies that can reduce nematode populations with no environmental or health impacts.

The aim of this Special Issue includes research on the identification and characterization of novel biological control methods, knowledge of the mechanisms underlying their efficacy, and the exploitation of integrated management approaches that combine biological controls with practices regularly used like crop rotations, tillage, etc.

The scope of this Special Issue includes a wide range of topics like the evaluation of the efficacy and persistence of biological control agents under field conditions; the development of biocontrol products and formulations for commercial use; the isolation and characterization of fungus and bacteria with the potential for biological control; the isolation and application of phytochemicals; and knowledge of the mechanisms of action of new control methods for PPN and many others that that are non-toxic to non-target organisms and which improve biodiversity and soil quality.

Cutting-edge research in the field of the biological control of PPN involves the use of advanced techniques, for example, metagenomics, to explore the diversity of soil microbiomes associated with plants and nematodes and metabolomics to explore the improvement of crops with more quality to help small farmers. Exploiting the synergistic effects of combining different biological control agents or integrating biological controls with other approaches is also of great interest.

For this Special Issue, original and high-quality research articles that contribute to the understanding of the biological control of PPN are welcome. Submissions are encouraged that report new findings on the identification, characterization, and utilization of biological control agents, as well as those that explore the mechanisms underlying their efficacy; this includes practical aspects of biological control implementation, such as their formulation and development, field trials, and integration with other pest management strategies.

Prof. Dr. Isabel Conceição
Prof. Dr. Maria José Cunha
Guest Editors

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• plant-parasitic nematodes
• biocontrol
• phytochemicals
• metagenomics
• metabolomics