Insect‒Microbe Symbiosis in Sustainable Pest Management
A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Pest and Disease Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 14
Special Issue Editors
Interests: Plant–insect interaction; insect molecular science; plant resistance to insect; pesticide resistance
Interests: biological invasions; insect population ecology; invasion ecology; integrated pest management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Insect–microbe symbiosis represents a groundbreaking frontier in sustainable pest management, offering eco-friendly alternatives to conventional chemical pesticides. This symbiotic interplay, spanning mutualistic to parasitic relationships, shapes insect physiology, behavior, and ecological interactions. Harnessing these microbial partnerships—including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa—holds immense potential for developing targeted biocontrol strategies that reduce environmental harm and resistance risks. This Special Issue invites cutting-edge research exploring the mechanisms, applications, and ecological implications of insect–microbe symbioses. Topics include microbial-mediated host immunity modulation, nutrient provisioning, detoxification pathways, and horizontal gene transfer influencing pest resilience. We welcome studies on microbiome engineering, the field efficacy of microbial consortia, and compatibility with integrated pest management (IPM) frameworks. Additionally, contributions addressing challenges in scalability, regulatory hurdles, and long-term ecosystem impacts are encouraged. By bridging fundamental discoveries with translational innovations, this collection aims to accelerate the development of microbial-based tools for sustainable agriculture. Researchers are invited to submit original articles, reviews, and perspectives that advance our understanding of insect–microbe dynamics and their role in reshaping pest control paradigms toward a greener, more resilient future.
Prof. Dr. Qing Chen
Dr. Zihua Zhao
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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 monthly 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
- insect–microbe symbiosis
- biocontrol strategies
- sustainable pest management
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