The Complex Roles of Viruses in Agroecosystems
A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Pest and Disease Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 6830
Special Issue Editors
Interests: plant virology; bioinformatics; plant–virus interactions; virus biodiversity; virome characterization; RNA interference
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: plant virology; geminivirus; plant–virus interactions; plant virus evolution; diagnostic methods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In agriculture, viruses are still perceived essentially as plant pathogens, with a strongly negative connotation: they cause devastating losses in crop production worldwide, thus representing a serious threat to global food security.
Nevertheless, with the advent of “omics” in all fields of biology, it has become clear that viruses are ubiquitous and that their diversity was grossly underestimated as well as their implications for food security. As a consequence, attitudes towards viruses in agriculture are gradually evolving, because we now recognize that, besides directly infecting crops, they can impact the agroecosystem at different trophic levels, above and below ground. There are cases where viruses have a positive role, helping plants to better deal with biotic or abiotic stresses. Furthermore, viruses can interact with insects, symbiotic and pathogenic fungi, bacteria, weeds, and any other living being, thus contributing positively or negatively to the final crop yield. The role of viruses on soil microorganism populations, for example, is largely unexplored.
This Special Issue welcomes contributions that improve our understanding of plant–virus interactions and explore the complex role of viruses in agroecosystems, with the ultimate aim of improving the sustainability of agronomic practices. Studies that approach this issue from molecular, physiological, or agroecological points of view will be considered.
Dr. Laura Miozzi
Dr. Gian Accotto
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- viruses
- agroecosystems
- plant–virus interactions
- virus–host interactions
- molecular crosstalk
- multitrophic interactions
- RNA interference
- sustainable agriculture
- biological control
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