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Agronomy
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Phytopathogen Dynamics and Crop Diseases: Advances in Diagnosis, Epidemiology, and...
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Phytopathogen Dynamics and Crop Diseases: Advances in Diagnosis, Epidemiology, and 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 October 2026 | Viewed by 721

Editors

Dr. Ying-Hong Lin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 912301, Taiwan
Interests: molecular diagnosis; phytopathology; biological control; disease management; plasma sterilization technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yuh Tzean

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106319, Taiwan
Interests: plant nematology; nematophagous fungi; multilevel biological interactions; integrated management of plant‑parasitic nematodes; molecular plant–microbe interactions; microbiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Following the remarkable success of the first Special Issue, “Phytopathogens and Crop Diseases”, which attracted significant attention and high-quality contributions, the Editorial Office is delighted to announce this new edition, “Phytopathogen Dynamics and Crop Diseases: Advances in Diagnosis, Epidemiology, and Management.”

This Special Issue aims to highlight cutting-edge research on the complex dynamics of phytopathogens—including fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, nematodes, and viruses—and their impact on crop health and productivity. We welcome original studies, reviews, and short communications that advance our understanding of pathogen–host interactions, disease epidemiology under changing environmental conditions, pathogen evolution and resistance breakdown, and innovative management strategies. Particular emphasis is placed on emerging and re-emerging diseases, the integration of digital technologies (e.g., AI, modeling, remote sensing) for early detection and monitoring, genomic and molecular approaches to enhance plant resistance, and climate-smart solutions for sustainable crop protection.

By fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, this Special Issue seeks to drive scientific innovation and support resilient, sustainable agricultural systems in the face of global challenges.

Dr. Ying-Hong Lin
Guest Editor

Dr. Yuh Tzean
Guest Editor Assistant

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-anonymized 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

  • phytopathogen dynamics
  • crop diseases
  • disease diagnosis
  • epidemiology
  • innovative management
  • pathogen evolution
  • digital technologies
  • plant resistance
  • climate-smart agriculture
  • sustainable crop protection

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 1930 KB  
Article
Comparative Evaluation of Inoculation Methods to Screen Aspergillus niger-Induced Crown Rot Disease Resistance in Peanut
by Ali Razzaq, Justin Carl Harvey, Kristin Beckham, Nicholas Dufault, Barry Tillman and Jianping Wang
Agronomy 2026, 16(15), 1432; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16151432 - 28 Jul 2026
Abstract
Peanut crown rot, caused by Aspergillus niger (A. niger), can cause significant yield loss ranging from 10 to 50%, mainly as a result of stand loss due to seedling death. Symptoms include damping-off of seedlings; dark grey vascular tissue; and the [...] Read more.
Peanut crown rot, caused by Aspergillus niger (A. niger), can cause significant yield loss ranging from 10 to 50%, mainly as a result of stand loss due to seedling death. Symptoms include damping-off of seedlings; dark grey vascular tissue; and the development of a sooty, black spore mass on the crown region beneath the soil. Currently, there is no commercial peanut cultivar resistant to crown rot, and no inoculation methods have been tested to effectively screen for A. niger resistance. In this study, we tested toothpick poking, seed inoculation, and soil inoculation to establish an effective protocol for screening peanut plants for resistance to crown rot under greenhouse conditions. Results showed that toothpick inoculation with A. niger spores caused 100% seedling mortality, whereas non-inoculated poked seedlings and controls showed 100% survival. For the seed inoculation method, the seedling stand percentage was significantly higher in the control (>90%) than in spore treatments across eight weeks (p < 0.001). Spore concentrations (106, 107, and 108 spores mL−1) did not differ significantly, although 108 spores mL−1 was most effective, reducing the seedling stand percentage to 1% by week 8. Soil inoculation caused seedling mortality from 3 weeks after sowing and significantly reduced the seedling stand percentage from weeks 2 to 8 (p < 0.01 to p < 0.001). The 108 spores per gram of soil treatment was the most effective, reducing the seedling survival rate to 20% by week 8. To conclude, all three tested inoculation methods were effective. However, toothpick inoculation ensured 100% infection by bypassing all the natural barriers to infect the plant. Seed inoculation was more effective than soil inoculation, which takes longer to cause crown rot infection. These results will enable plant breeders to select the appropriate inoculation method to screen breeding materials and germplasm for potential A. niger resistance and, ultimately, to develop crown-rot-resistant cultivars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytopathogen Dynamics and Crop Diseases: Advances in Diagnosis, Epidemiology, and Management)
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21 pages, 4611 KB  
Article
Field Survey and Ecological Evaluation of Nematode-Trapping Fungi for Suppression of Meloidogyne incognita in Pumpkin
by Elena Gamboa Chen, Jen Tzeng, Ploypilin Kamsat, Chia-An Liu, Sing-You Chen, Hui-Yu Hsu, Chen-Lin Yang, Yin-Jing Hu, Kai-Wen Cheng, Pariyakan Mueangkaew, Pathitta Pinjun, Senghur Lee, Tai-Yuan Chen, Yun-Yang Chao, Hiran A. Ariyawansa, Ying-Hong Lin, Jen-Chih Chen and Yuh Tzean
Agronomy 2026, 16(13), 1219; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16131219 - 24 Jun 2026
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Abstract
Plant-parasitic nematodes, particularly the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita, severely threaten agricultural production in tropical and subtropical regions. Although nematode-trapping fungi have been considered environmentally friendly alternatives to chemical nematicides, their field performance often remains inconsistent due to limited ecological adaptation. This study [...] Read more.
Plant-parasitic nematodes, particularly the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita, severely threaten agricultural production in tropical and subtropical regions. Although nematode-trapping fungi have been considered environmentally friendly alternatives to chemical nematicides, their field performance often remains inconsistent due to limited ecological adaptation. This study combined a field survey of crop-associated nematode communities with laboratory and greenhouse evaluation of selected nematode-trapping fungal isolates under subtropical conditions. Field surveys across multiple crops identified M. incognita as the dominant plant-parasitic nematode species. Five fungal isolates with different trapping mechanisms were compared for growth under contrasting nutrient conditions and nematode-trapping efficiency. Among them, Drechslerella brochopaga (NTF2), which forms constricting rings, showed superior growth stability under nutrient-limited conditions and the highest nematode mortality in vitro. In greenhouse experiments, NTF2 reduced root gall formation in two of three independent trials, indicating potential but variable suppression of M. incognita on pumpkin. These findings highlight the importance of ecological adaptation and trapping strategy in determining the effectiveness of nematode-trapping fungi for sustainable nematode management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytopathogen Dynamics and Crop Diseases: Advances in Diagnosis, Epidemiology, and Management)
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