Vector–Plant Interactions and Molecular Epidemiology of Phytoplasma Diseases
A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Pest and Disease Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2021) | Viewed by 419
Special Issue Editor
Interests: classical biological control of weeds; taxonomy and insect diversity; applied and experimental study of invasive pests; integrative pest management (IPM) of insects and weeds; molecular systematic, population genetics, phylogeny, and integrative taxonomy, especially in cryptic speciation events; molecular identification and characterization in organisms of economic importance and environmental protection; vector role of planthoppers and leafhoppers (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha) and epidemiology of phytoplasma induced diseases (Mollicutes, 'Candidatus Phytoplasma')
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Special Issue Information
Dear colleagues,
Phytoplasmas (class Mollicutes) are a diverse lineage of bacteria that can cause devastating yield losses to various beneficial plant species worldwide, sometimes at a scale that jeopardizes the economic viability of particular crops. Phytoplasmas possess a dual-host infection cycle, where plants and phloem-feeding insects of the order Hemiptera (leafhoppers, planthoppers and psyllids) represent a medium for their intracellular multiplication.
Epidemiological cycles of phytoplasma diseases are strongly dependent on feeding preferences (i.e., the host plant range of the insect vector), and on the diversity of phytoplasma reservoir plants. Therefore, relationships and interactions between the host plant, the pathogen and the specific insect vectors transmitting phytoplasmas are of great importance in understanding and predicting epidemics, and intervening to mitigate their consequences in agroecosystems.
The molecular epidemiology of phytoplasmas is focused on the characterization of multiple genes and the distribution of different phytoplasma strains in their hosts (plants and insects). It merges epidemiological information with molecular data and increases the comprehension of phytoplasma transmission in cultivated crops and natural environments.
Knowledge on the interactions of phytoplasmas with their wild host plants acting as pathogen reservoirs and alternative insect vectors could lead to the development of novel and alternative strategies of pest prevention and management, especially in cases in which traditional approaches are in need of adaptation in light of global environmental challenges.
For this Special Issue, we invite you to send contributions related to vector–plant interactions and the molecular epidemiology of phytoplasmas which are essential for the establishment of the innovative disease control strategies.
We are looking forward to your contribution.
Dr. Ivo Toševski
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- phytoplasma
- molecular epidemiology
- multilocus (MLST) genotyping
- vector-borne diseases
- vectoring potential
- host pathogen interactions
