Advances in Plant–Fungal Pathogen Interactions

Dear Colleagues,

We invite contributions to this Special Issue of the journal Agronomy, entitled “Advances in Plant–Fungal Pathogen Interactions”, which aims to present recent developments in the field of plant protection against fungal phytopathogens.

Phytopathogenic fungi such as Fusarium spp. and Botrytis spp. pose a threat to many crops, both agricultural and horticultural. Protecting crops from the negative effects of phytopathogens is one of the current objectives of sustainable agriculture and a principle of the European Green Deal Directive. As a result of this regulation, researchers are now attempting to develop new methods of controlling crop-damaging diseases. One of the key aspects of this research is the careful study of interactions between fungi and plants. These interactions occur on the molecular level through the production of different types of substances by both fungi and plants. These include low-molecular substances (phytohormones, signaling substances, mycotoxins, siderophores, sugar oligomers), proteins (lytic enzymes, CWDE, peptide inhibitors), and sugar polymers (cell wall fragments, extracellular polysaccharides). However, each of these factors affects both the plants, by stimulating plant resistance pathways, and the fungi, by enhancing their potential to cause pathogenic symptoms. Each of these elements constitutes one piece of the puzzle of plant–phytopathogen interactions. Knowledge of the exact mechanisms of these interactions will aid in the development of modern methods for the control of fungal diseases in agricultural fields. Therefore, it is necessary to improve our current knowledge of this topic.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Adrian Wiater
Guest Editor

Dr. Kamila Wlizło
Dr. Artur Nowak
Guest Editor Assistants

Manuscript Submission Information

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