Nematode Diseases and Their Management in Crop Plants—2nd Edition

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Pest and Disease Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2026 | Viewed by 752

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
University of Coimbra, Centre for Functional Ecology—Science for People and the Planet (CFE), Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: nematology; phytopathology; plant parasitic nematodes; Globodera spp.; Meloidogyne spp.; integrated plant management; bionematicides; plant–nematode interaction
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Guest Editor
1. INIAV—National Institute for Agriculture and Veterinary Research, Quinta do Marquês, 2780-159 Oeiras, Portugal 2. GREEN-IT Bioresources for Sustainability, ITQB NOVA, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
Interests: phytopathology; plant protection; plant-parasitic nematodes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Following the success of the first Special Issue in Agronomy, “Nematode Diseases and Their Management in Crop Plants (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/agronomy/special_issues/59NZCQEF6G)”, the Editorial Office is pleased to launch its second edition.

More than 4000 species of nematodes are plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs), which affect the quality and quantity of many crops. PPNs attack plants and disrupt their development, causing reductions in crop yield and the quality of the products. Their control is mainly achieved by means of crop rotation and the use of resistant cultivars, combined with synthetic nematicide application. Even though the use of chemical pesticides is an effective control strategy, this is expensive and legislation is very strict regarding their use in the field, focusing mainly on environmental and health risks. The increase in environmental concerns and regulatory restrictions has led to the urgent need to find alternative control measures that have the same efficacy as chemical nematicides. These alternatives need to be less expensive and more environmentally friendly than the methods currently used.

This Special Issue focuses on management methodologies used to control nematodes that cause damage to economically important crops. It seeks to include interdisciplinary studies on nematology, phytopathology, and pest management. Research articles should cover a broad range of topics, such as the use of new technologies to control PPNs in the field and more environmentally and health-friendly management strategies.

Prof. Dr. Isabel Luci Pisa Mata da Conceição
Dr. Maria João Camacho
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Agronomy 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

  • crop production
  • crop protection
  • integrated pest management
  • nematode diseases
  • pest control
  • plant-parasitic nematodes

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

11 pages, 977 KB  
Article
Meloidogyne spp. Population Diversity and Inoculum Density Influence Parasitism of Kiwifruit Plants
by A. Rita Gonçalves, I. Luci Conceição and Sofia R. Costa
Agronomy 2026, 16(4), 426; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16040426 - 11 Feb 2026
Viewed by 513
Abstract
Kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) has become a globally important crop, with A. chinensis var. deliciosa cv. Hayward being the most widely cultivated cultivar. Root-knot nematodes (RKNs, Meloidogyne spp.) are highly damaging plant parasites that are widespread in Portugal. Meloidogyne hapla predominates in the [...] Read more.
Kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) has become a globally important crop, with A. chinensis var. deliciosa cv. Hayward being the most widely cultivated cultivar. Root-knot nematodes (RKNs, Meloidogyne spp.) are highly damaging plant parasites that are widespread in Portugal. Meloidogyne hapla predominates in the major production areas and occasionally co-occurs with M. arenaria and M. hispanica; however, the effects of these RKNs on kiwifruit performance and yield remain largely unclear. This study evaluated the reaction of Hayward and Tomuri cultivars to different Meloidogyne spp. and inoculum levels, focusing on plant–nematode interactions with distinct M. hapla populations. Kiwifruit’s reaction to RKN parasitism varied according to both the Meloidogyne spp. and the intraspecific variability of M. hapla. Meloidogyne arenaria and M. hispanica caused different impacts in kiwifruit cultivars. Intraspecific variation in M. hapla influenced the host reaction, with certain populations showing high parasitic rates. Gall numbers increased with M. hapla inoculum density, indicating that higher nematode populations intensify pressure on the host. Although few differences were observed between cultivars, M. arenaria had a greater impact on cv. Hayward (female), while M. hispanica affected cv. Tomuri (male) more strongly, showing the importance of investigating cultivar- and sex-specific responses to RKNs for effective management in kiwifruit. These findings highlight that susceptibility and tolerance in kiwifruit depend on the RKN species identity, intraspecific variability, population density and cultivar-specific responses, emphasizing the complexity of host–nematode interactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nematode Diseases and Their Management in Crop Plants—2nd Edition)
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