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Agronomy
Special Issues
Pests, Pesticides, Pollinators and Sustainable Farming—2nd Edition
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Pests, Pesticides, Pollinators and Sustainable Farming—2nd Edition

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Farming Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2026 | Viewed by 1228

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Antonios E. Tsagkarakis

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Guest Editor
Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 1155 Athens, Greece
Interests: integrated pest management; biological control; auchenorrhyncha; sustainable plant protection; pollinators; remote sensing; precision plant protection; productive entomology; apiculture; insects as proteins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Georgios Papadoulis

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Guest Editor
Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 1155 Athens, Greece
Interests: agricultural zoology and entomology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Argyro Kalaitzaki

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Guest Editor
Institute for Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops & Viticulture, Hellenic Agricultural Organization “DEMETER", 73100 Chania, Greece
Interests: insect pest; insect parasitoids; population dynamics; vectors of Xylella fastidiosa; mass trapping; monitoring; biological control; integrated pest management; smart tools in agriculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Crop pests can cause significant yield losses and threaten food supply and security. Relying solely on synthetic pesticides for pest control has proven ineffective and induces adverse effects on pollinators, biodiversity, environmental sustainability, and human health. Moreover, the overreliance on pesticides can foster resistance in pests, trigger outbreaks of other pest species, and adversely affect non-target organisms. To ensure improved control and ecological sustainability, it is essential to reduce synthetic pesticide usage. This can be achieved via the adoption of alternative and effective strategies that keep pest populations below the economic injury threshold, aligning with the objectives of the European Green Deal.

In this Special Issue, we aim to share knowledge on all aspects related to sustainable plant pest management systems that are also compatible with pollination services, adopting a "from farm to fork" approach.

Based on the above, we welcome original research articles and reviews, which will focus on the following:

  • Integrated and biological pest management systems of crops;
  • Use of pollinators for sustainable farming;
  • Smart plant protection systems (remote sensing, artificial intelligence, decision support systems);
  • Innovative pollinator-friendly pest control;
  • Biopesticides.

Dr. Antonios E. Tsagkarakis
Prof. Dr. Georgios Papadoulis
Dr. Argyro Kalaitzaki
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 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-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

  • integrated pest management
  • biological control
  • precision plant protection
  • pollinators
  • remote sensing
  • biopesticides
  • sustainable pest management

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 13489 KB  
Article
Life History, Larval and Pupal Morphology of Neoplinthus tigratus porculus (Fabricius, 1801) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae) Associated with Hop
by Jiří Skuhrovec, Filip Trnka and Rafał Gosik
Agronomy 2026, 16(9), 891; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16090891 - 28 Apr 2026
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Abstract
The immature stages and biology of Neoplinthus tigratus porculus (Fabricius, 1801) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae) associated with common hop (Humulus lupulus L.) are described for the first time. Biological observations show that the species develops mainly within the root collar and roots of [...] Read more.
The immature stages and biology of Neoplinthus tigratus porculus (Fabricius, 1801) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae) associated with common hop (Humulus lupulus L.) are described for the first time. Biological observations show that the species develops mainly within the root collar and roots of Humulus lupulus, where larvae feed internally and older instars overwinter. Infested plants are characterized by swollen and weakened roots, often containing multiple larvae. The species should be considered a potential pest of common hop, an economically important crop; however, the current observations indicate that its populations are generally very low, consistent with the status of several related Molytinae and Cleonini taxa, which are predominantly regarded as rare or locally occurring under contemporary agricultural conditions. Nevertheless, changes in agroecosystem management may significantly alter its abundance, as documented in other weevil taxa, where reductions in plant protection measures have led to local pest outbreak. The morphology and diagnostic characters of mature larvae and pupae are documented and compared with related Molytinae and selected Cleonini (Lixinae). The mature larva generally fits the diagnostic characters of Molytinae larvae but differs in several traits, particularly the very short endocranial line and the relative length of frontal setae (fs1–5), with fs4 distinctly shorter than fs5. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pests, Pesticides, Pollinators and Sustainable Farming—2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 3197 KB  
Article
Effect of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on the Flight Performance of Anarta trifolii (Hüfnagel, 1766)
by Xiaoting Sun, Yatao Zhou, Wei He, Shishuai Ge, Kongming Wu and Limei He
Agronomy 2026, 16(9), 884; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16090884 - 28 Apr 2026
Viewed by 178
Abstract
The clover cutworm, Anarta trifolii (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), constitutes a polyphagous pest known for causing sporadic, local outbreaks that significantly damage Beta vulgaris, Gossypium hirsutum, Brassica oleracea and others. Evidence supports the occurrence of seasonal migration in this species, but the determinants [...] Read more.
The clover cutworm, Anarta trifolii (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), constitutes a polyphagous pest known for causing sporadic, local outbreaks that significantly damage Beta vulgaris, Gossypium hirsutum, Brassica oleracea and others. Evidence supports the occurrence of seasonal migration in this species, but the determinants of A. trifolii flight performance remain unexplored. Understanding the species’ flight performance is essential for predicting its long-distance dispersal, identifying source and sink populations, and improving regional pest forecasting. We characterized flight performance and its influencing factors via computer-monitored flight mills. Maximum flight performance was achieved in A. trifolii adults at two days, followed by a significant decline with increasing age. At 24 °C and 80% relative humidity (RH), in a 12 h test, males and females aged two days achieved total flight distances of 38.90 ± 1.21 km and 31.70 ± 1.56 km, respectively. In a 24 h test, three-day-old adults reached a maximum flight speed of 19.68 km/h, a sustained flight duration of 17.38 h, a total flight duration of 23.89 h, a sustained flight distance of 69.64 km, and a total flight distance of 96.56 km. The flight performance of A. trifolii was significantly affected by both temperature and RH, with the maximum flight capacity achieved at 18–28 °C and 35–80% RH. Flight performance was significantly enhanced when A. trifolii were fed honey or sucrose. Moreover, the wingbeat frequency of A. trifolii adults varied among age groups, ranging from 31.90 to 57.65 Hz. In females, the wingbeat frequency peaked at 2 days old (46.72 ± 0.25 Hz), whereas in males it peaked at 10 days old (47.18 ± 0.66 Hz). These results advance the fundamental understanding of A. trifolii migration and offer practical applications, including improved pest management strategies, optimized use of chemical insecticides and biological control agents, and enhanced decision-making in integrated pest management programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pests, Pesticides, Pollinators and Sustainable Farming—2nd Edition)
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9 pages, 1084 KB  
Article
Biological Control of Tuta absoluta Using Commercial Entomopathogenic Fungal Endophytes: Colonization Efficiency and Greenhouse Efficacy
by Christos Lymperopoulos and Spyridon Mantzoukas
Agronomy 2026, 16(2), 244; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16020244 - 20 Jan 2026
Viewed by 613
Abstract
The tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is one of the most destructive pests of tomato crops worldwide. Its high reproductive potential and increasing resistance to conventional insecticides have made the development of sustainable management strategies essential. Biological control using entomopathogenic fungi [...] Read more.
The tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is one of the most destructive pests of tomato crops worldwide. Its high reproductive potential and increasing resistance to conventional insecticides have made the development of sustainable management strategies essential. Biological control using entomopathogenic fungi (EPF), particularly when established as endophytes, has emerged as a promising approach. This study investigated the endophytic colonization capacity and greenhouse performance of three commercially available EPF formulations: Beauveria bassiana (Velifer®), Lecanicillium lecanii (Lecan®), and a Beauveria bassiana–Metarhizium anisopliae mixture (Metab®), for the suppression of T. absoluta in tomato. Our experiment was conducted under commercial greenhouse conditions using soil drench applications at manufacturer-recommended doses. Endophytic colonization was assessed through surface-sterilized leaf assays, while pest suppression was evaluated via weekly measurements of larval mine length, infestation incidence, and survival dynamics. B. bassiana (Velifer®) exhibited the highest endophytic colonization frequency and consistently reduced mine length and infestation levels compared with untreated plants. Survival analysis using Cox proportional hazards revealed significant reductions in infestation risk for Velifer® (hazard ratio, HR = 0.420), Metab® (HR = 0.480), and Lecan® (HR = 0.599), relative to the negative control, whereas the chemical positive control provided the strongest overall suppression (HR = 0.287). Our findings demonstrate that commercial EPF formulations can significantly reduce T. absoluta infestation under greenhouse conditions and represent a valuable component of integrated pest management programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pests, Pesticides, Pollinators and Sustainable Farming—2nd Edition)
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