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Agronomy
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Ecological Aspects as a Basis for Future Pest Integrated Management—2nd...
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Ecological Aspects as a Basis for Future Pest Integrated Management—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: closed (30 April 2026) | Viewed by 6607

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Flávio Roberto Mello Garcia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Zoologia e Genética, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas 96010900, RS, Brazil
Interests: fruit flies; natural enemies; biological control; ecology of insects; agriculture entomology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sérgio M. Ovruski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratorio de Investigaciones Bioecoetológicas de Moscas de la Fruta y sus Enemigos Naturales (LIEMEN), División Control Biológico de Plagas, PROIMI Biotecnología, CCT NOA Sur-CONICET, Avda. Belgrano y Pje, Caseros, San Miguel de Tucumán T4001MVB, Argentina
Interests: fruit flies; parasitoids; insect biology and ecology; biological control; integrated pest management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Following the success of the first Special Issue, “Ecological Aspects as a Basis for Future Pest Integrated Management”, we are pleased to announce the launch of a second series of the Special Issue.

Knowledge of the ecology of insects, mites, vertebrate and invertebrate pests, weeds, and phytopathogens is one of the pillars of integrated pest management. Pests should be understood as out-of-balance populations and cause economic losses. Ecological knowledge about these populations is crucial for longer-lasting pest management with reduced environmental and social impact. The diversification of agroecosystems, agroforests, biological control, the push–pull technique, the sterile insect technique, and the search for selective agrochemicals within an area-wide approach depend significantly on this ecological knowledge. This Special Issue invites the submission of original research articles and reviews to deepen ecological aspects as a basis for future integrated pest management, such as demographic traits, the ecology and evolution of behavioral patterns, population dynamics, diversity, abundance, trophic relationships, host range and status, natural enemies, niche, distribution modeling, phytosociology, allelopathy, competition, absent quarantine pests, and epidemiology.

Dr. Flávio Roberto Mello Garcia
Dr. Sérgio M. Ovruski
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

  • plant–insect interaction
  • population dynamics
  • diversity
  • host range
  • natural enemies
  • trophic relationships
  • competition
  • epidemiology
  • phytosociology
  • absent quarantine pests
  • epidemiology

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2995 KB  
Article
In Vitro and In Silico Evaluation of Essential Oils from Three “Rosemary” Species Present in Chile as a Sustainable Alternative for Post-Harvest Fungi Control
by Alejandro Madrid, Evelyn Muñoz, Valentina Silva, Camila Venegas, Francisca Valdes, Constanza Reyes, Nelson Caro, Patricio Godoy, Enrique Werner, Katy Díaz and Iván Montenegro
Agronomy 2026, 16(2), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16020171 - 9 Jan 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 849
Abstract
Phytopathogenic fungi that affect postharvest are a serious problem for agriculture, so this research explores the antifungal potential of three different “rosemary” species growing in Chile through in vitro and in silico assays. The analysis of essential oils (GC/MS) reveals the dominant constituents [...] Read more.
Phytopathogenic fungi that affect postharvest are a serious problem for agriculture, so this research explores the antifungal potential of three different “rosemary” species growing in Chile through in vitro and in silico assays. The analysis of essential oils (GC/MS) reveals the dominant constituents of Salvia rosmarinus (camphor: 66.96%), Baccharis linearis (lachnophyllum ester: 88.62%) and Fabiana imbricata (an oxygenated sesquiterpene: 43.66%) and shows profiles that differ from chemotypes of the same species from other areas of the world. B. linearis oil was shown to be a versatile antifungal substance, inhibiting Botrytis cinerea and Monilinia fructicola at moderate concentrations; F. imbricata oil stood out as a major inhibitor of mycelial growth of the same isolate of M. fructicola used to test B. linearis oil (EC50 of 15.86 + 0.67 µg/mL) and completely inhibited of its conidial germination. In silico assays confirmed the complexity of interactions of F. imbricata sequiterpenoids with catalytic sites of succinate dehydrogenase and catalase 2, key enzymes in mycelial growth and in maintaining redox homeostasis in the early development of M. fructicola, respectively. The results of this research make F. imbricata a good candidate for the development of a formulation applicable in vivo as an eco-friendly post-harvest antifungal agent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Aspects as a Basis for Future Pest Integrated Management—2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 1490 KB  
Article
Agroecological Soil Management of an Organic Apple Orchard: Impact of Flowering Living Mulches on Soil Nutrients and Bacterial Activity Indices
by Ewa Maria Furmanczyk and Eligio Malusà
Agronomy 2025, 15(11), 2612; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15112612 - 13 Nov 2025
Viewed by 903
Abstract
The introduction of living mulches into an orchard can be considered an agroecological practice that can provide several ecosystem services related to integrated crop protection, also in relation to the impact on soil microbiome. In this study, the introduction in an organic apple [...] Read more.
The introduction of living mulches into an orchard can be considered an agroecological practice that can provide several ecosystem services related to integrated crop protection, also in relation to the impact on soil microbiome. In this study, the introduction in an organic apple orchard of two plant mixtures designed as multifunctional living mulches to reduce weed competition and increase shelter for beneficial arthropods was evaluated in relation to their impact on soil nutrient content and bacterial activity indices. One mixture was composed of Trifolium repens (20%) and Festuca ovina (80%), the second made of 40 different plant species including legumes, flowering species and grasses. Both living mulches increased N-nitrate levels in spring, and the two-component plant mixture was also able to improve P and K levels in soil at the same time, in comparison to the natural cover (control). The two mixtures induced an increase in bacterial activity in the beginning (40 plant species mix) or middle of the growing season (two-component plant mix), without major effects on bacterial biodiversity at the phyla level, showing a high share of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota among treatments. Nevertheless, both plant mixtures modified the phenotypic profile of the bacterial population, measured with the Biolog method, of different classes of C sources including carbohydrates, amino acids and carboxylic acid. The results are pointing to possible benefits of the practice on soil microbial activity, which will have to be confirmed by longer studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Aspects as a Basis for Future Pest Integrated Management—2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 2201 KB  
Article
Avocado Sustains a Complex of Neosilba spp. (Diptera: Lonchaeidae) in Veracruz, Mexico
by Rodrigo Lasa, Laura Navarro-de-la-Fuente, Iain MacGowan and Trevor Williams
Agronomy 2025, 15(11), 2476; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15112476 - 24 Oct 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 999
Abstract
Avocado (Persea americana Miller), a crop of major economic importance in Mexico, is threatened by several quarantine pests, and recent reports have suggested that the lance fly Neosilba batesi (Diptera: Lonchaeidae) may be responsible for significant yield losses. To clarify the role [...] Read more.
Avocado (Persea americana Miller), a crop of major economic importance in Mexico, is threatened by several quarantine pests, and recent reports have suggested that the lance fly Neosilba batesi (Diptera: Lonchaeidae) may be responsible for significant yield losses. To clarify the role of this species, we surveyed avocados from six localities in Veracruz State on the Gulf coast of Mexico and identified lance flies using both morphological and molecular tools. None of the symptoms previously attributed to N. batesi infestation in Hass avocado were observed in any of the fruits inspected across the six localities. However, 90 fruits displayed clear signs of borer attack by Conotrachelus spp. or other primary pests, and 64 of these damaged fruits (60%) yielded lance flies. Hass avocados were rarely infested and hosted only N. batesi, whereas creole avocados (P. americana var. drymifolia) were hosts to N. batesi, N. glaberrima, N. recurva, and N. flavitarsis and an undescribed species (Neosilba sp.3) that was detected by analysis of the COI gene sequences of males. Additionally, Lonchaea cristula was reported for the first time emerging from creole avocado. Each avocado yielded an average of between 2.3 and 21.0 adult lance flies. Infestation was more frequent and numerous in fruits collected from the ground than in those harvested directly from trees, supporting the idea that lance flies preferentially exploit pre-damaged or fallen fruits. Indeed, lonchaeid eggs were frequently observed deposited on the periphery or inside oviposition holes created by other pests. Overall, our results indicate that Neosilba spp. act as secondary invaders in Veracruz, with no evidence of N. batesi behaving as a primary pest in this region. None of the avocados were infested by species of Tephritidae and none of the Neosilba species we identified appear to pose a threat to avocado production in Mexico. This study highlights the value of combining morphological and molecular tools for species identification and underscores the importance of differentiating between primary and secondary invaders in the context of avocado pest management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Aspects as a Basis for Future Pest Integrated Management—2nd Edition)
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16 pages, 3069 KB  
Article
Fungicidal Potential of 3-Acyl-6-bromoindole Derivatives: Synthesis, In Vitro Activity, and Molecular Docking Against Botrytis cinerea and Monilinia fructicola
by Evelyn Muñoz, Katy Díaz, Iván Montenegro, Nelson Caro, Constanza Reyes, Valentina Silva and Alejandro Madrid
Agronomy 2025, 15(10), 2267; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15102267 - 24 Sep 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 974
Abstract
Gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) and brown rot (Monilinia fructicola) are devastating diseases in stone fruit production. In this work, a series of 3-acyl-6-bromoindoles, including six new compounds, were synthesized via green and efficient microwave-assisted methodology to evaluate their antifungal [...] Read more.
Gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) and brown rot (Monilinia fructicola) are devastating diseases in stone fruit production. In this work, a series of 3-acyl-6-bromoindoles, including six new compounds, were synthesized via green and efficient microwave-assisted methodology to evaluate their antifungal potential. Bioassays revealed a remarkable duality in the compounds’ mechanism of action. The starting material, 6-bromoindole (I), proved to be a highly potent inhibitor of mycelial growth, with a remarkable EC50 of 11.62 µg/mL against B. cinerea and 18.84 µg/mL against M. fructicola, surpassing BC-1000® and Captan® and comparable to Mystic®. Conversely, compound I was ineffective at inhibiting conidial germination. In stark contrast, the simple acetylated derivative 3-acetyl-6-bromoindole (II) emerged as a formidable inhibitor of spore germination, achieving 100% inhibition for B. cinerea and 96% for M. fructicola, outperforming several controls. This suggests that, while compound I is effective against established infections, compound II acts as a powerful preventative agent against initial spore-based propagation. The antifungal activity of the compounds directly correlates with their ability to bind to the enzymes SDH and MfCat2, the latter being the main mechanism of action. These findings highlight the potential of developing specialized fungicides from the 6-bromoindole scaffold, targeting different stages of fungal development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Aspects as a Basis for Future Pest Integrated Management—2nd Edition)
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13 pages, 2456 KB  
Article
Mapping the Potential Presence of the Spotted Wing Drosophila Under Current and Future Scenario: An Update of the Distribution Modeling and Ecological Perspectives
by Lenon Morales Abeijon, Jesús Hernando Gómez Llano, Lizandra Jaqueline Robe, Sergio Marcelo Ovruski and Flávio Roberto Mello Garcia
Agronomy 2025, 15(4), 838; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15040838 - 28 Mar 2025
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1989
Abstract
The article addresses the current and future potential distribution of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae), commonly known as spotted wing Drosophila (SWD). This invasive pest affects various fruit crops worldwide. Native to Southeast Asia, the species has rapidly expanded due to its high adaptability [...] Read more.
The article addresses the current and future potential distribution of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae), commonly known as spotted wing Drosophila (SWD). This invasive pest affects various fruit crops worldwide. Native to Southeast Asia, the species has rapidly expanded due to its high adaptability to climates and ability to infest ripe fruits. SWD occurrence data were collected from multiple databases, pseudo-absences were selected from the background area, and climatic variables were downloaded from WorldClim. The Random Forest algorithm was employed to model the current distribution and project future scenarios, categorizing environmental suitability into high, moderate, and low levels. The analysis of bioclimatic variables indicated that factors such as isothermality, maximum temperature of the warmest month, and precipitation of the driest month are the most significant for pest distribution. The results revealed high climatic suitability for the species in North America, Europe, and Asia, with projections indicating expansion under climate change scenarios in the Northern Hemisphere, including new areas in Europe and North America. Regions with higher suitability are expected to require management and monitoring strategies, particularly in vulnerable agricultural areas. Furthermore, the study underscores the importance of climatic data in predicting pest distribution and formulating effective control and mitigation policies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Aspects as a Basis for Future Pest Integrated Management—2nd Edition)
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