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Biology
Special Issues
Biological Control of Vegetable Diseases and Bacterial Molecular Biology
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Biological Control of Vegetable Diseases and Bacterial Molecular Biology

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2025) | Viewed by 5701

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lei Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: vegetables diseases; biological control; pathogenesis; functional genes; plant-bacterial interactions; secondary metabolites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xiaofeng Zhou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
Interests: bacteriology; bacterial cell cycle; bacterial physiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Vegetable diseases are caused by a broad range of plant pathogens and are responsible for losses in yield and/or quality, directly affecting profits and food security at household, national, and global levels. Biological control is the control of disease by the application of biological agents to vegetable plants in order to prevent pathogens from causing disease to develop. With regard to plant diseases, biocontrol agents are usually bacterial or fungal strains which have been isolated from the endosphere or rhizosphere. The degree of disease suppression achieved with biological agents can be comparable to that achieved with chemicals. In this Special Issue, we highlight recent advances in the biological control of vegetable diseases and bacterial molecular biology.

We welcome research presenting new science outcomes that translate directly into practical applications for farmers. This could include, but is not limited to, research into the screening and transformation of biocontrol agents, the development and utilization of biocontrol agents and their metabolites, the cloning and functional analysis of beneficial biocontrol genes, the use of biocontrol agents to control vegetables disease, and bioinformatics of biocontrol microorganisms. Research should focus on the ultimate goals: reducing crop loss and environmental impact and improving economic, environmental, and resiliency indicators through enhanced disease management in vegetables.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Lei Li
Dr. Xiaofeng Zhou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2700 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

  • bacterial diseases in horticulture
  • plant growth-promoting bacteria
  • biological control of pathogens via antagonistic bacteria
  • genomic, transcriptomic, proteomics studies of antagonistic or pathogenic bacteria interactions
  • beneficial effects of bacteria on plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses
  • pathogenic mechanism or biocontrol mechanism
  • volatile organic compounds
  • secondary metabolites

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 6199 KiB  
Article
Coating Seeds with Paenibacillus polymyxa ZF129 Microcapsule Suspension Enhanced Control Effect on Fusarium Root Rot and Promoted Seedling Growth in Cucumber
by Jiayi Ma, Jialin Liu, Yanxia Shi, Xuewen Xie, Ali Chai, Sheng Xiang, Xianhua Sun, Lei Li, Baoju Li and Tengfei Fan
Biology 2025, 14(4), 375; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14040375 - 5 Apr 2025
Viewed by 275
Abstract
Fusarium root rot, a destructive soil-borne fungal disease, necessitates eco-friendly biocontrol strategies. This study developed a microbial seed-coating approach using the antagonistic strain Paenibacillus polymyxa ZF129, formulated into a microencapsulated powder (108 CFU/g) and a suspension (CS-ZF129). CS-ZF129 application enhanced cucumber resistance, [...] Read more.
Fusarium root rot, a destructive soil-borne fungal disease, necessitates eco-friendly biocontrol strategies. This study developed a microbial seed-coating approach using the antagonistic strain Paenibacillus polymyxa ZF129, formulated into a microencapsulated powder (108 CFU/g) and a suspension (CS-ZF129). CS-ZF129 application enhanced cucumber resistance, achieving 46.30 ± 0.02% disease suppression while promoting root growth. The maximum increase in the fresh weight of the root in the promotion of rectangular growth was 47.16%. The colonization dynamics of ZF129 in the rhizosphere were systematically tracked, revealing its antagonistic correlation with Fusarium proliferation. An enzymatic activity analysis further uncovered the underlying regulatory mechanisms, demonstrating induced defense responses through pathogenesis-related protein activation. These findings highlight ZF129’s dual functionality as a biocontrol agent and a plant growth promoter, offering a sustainable strategy against soil-borne pathogens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological Control of Vegetable Diseases and Bacterial Molecular Biology)
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20 pages, 3131 KiB  
Article
Soil Solarization Efficiently Reduces Fungal Soilborne Pathogen Populations, Promotes Lettuce Plant Growth, and Affects the Soil Bacterial Community
by George T. Tziros, Anastasios Samaras and George S. Karaoglanidis
Biology 2024, 13(8), 624; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13080624 - 15 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1463
Abstract
Lettuce is the most cultivated leafy vegetable in Greece; however, due to the adopted intensive cropping system, its cultivation is susceptible to many soilborne pathogens that cause significant yield and quality losses. In the current study, the impact of various soil disinfestation methods [...] Read more.
Lettuce is the most cultivated leafy vegetable in Greece; however, due to the adopted intensive cropping system, its cultivation is susceptible to many soilborne pathogens that cause significant yield and quality losses. In the current study, the impact of various soil disinfestation methods such as solarization, chemical disinfestation, and application of a biofungicide were evaluated in a commercial field that has been repeatedly used for lettuce cultivation. The populations of soilborne pathogens Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium ultimum, Fusarium oxysporum, and Fusarium equiseti were measured via qPCR before and after the implementation of the specific disinfestation methods. Although all the tested methods significantly reduced the population of the four soilborne pathogens, soil solarization was the most effective one. In addition, solarization reduced the number of lettuce plants affected by the pathogens R. solani and F. equiseti, and at the same time, significantly influenced the growth of lettuce plants. Amplicon sequence analysis of 16S rRNA-encoding genes used to study the soil bacterial community structure showed that Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria were the predominant bacterial phyla in soil samples. In general, solarization had positive effects on Firmicutes and negative effects on Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria; soil fumigation with dazomet increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria and reduced the corresponding values of Actinobacteria; and biofungicide had no significant effects on the three predominant bacterial phyla. The bacterial community composition and structure varied after the application of the soil disinfestation treatments since they imposed changes in the α- and β-diversity levels. The results of this study are expected to contribute towards implementing the most effective control method against the most common soilborne pathogens in intensively cultivated fields, such as those cultivated with leafy vegetables. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological Control of Vegetable Diseases and Bacterial Molecular Biology)
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Review

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37 pages, 2037 KiB  
Review
The Good, the Bad, and the Fungus: Insights into the Relationship Between Plants, Fungi, and Oomycetes in Hydroponics
by Grace C. S. Laevens, William C. Dolson, Michelle M. Drapeau, Soufiane Telhig, Sarah E. Ruffell, Danielle M. Rose, Bernard R. Glick and Ashley A. Stegelmeier
Biology 2024, 13(12), 1014; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13121014 - 4 Dec 2024
Viewed by 3093
Abstract
Hydroponic systems are examples of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and present a promising alternative to traditional farming methods by increasing productivity, profitability, and sustainability. In hydroponic systems, crops are grown in the absence of soil and thus lack the native soil microbial community. [...] Read more.
Hydroponic systems are examples of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and present a promising alternative to traditional farming methods by increasing productivity, profitability, and sustainability. In hydroponic systems, crops are grown in the absence of soil and thus lack the native soil microbial community. This review focuses on fungi and oomycetes, both beneficial and pathogenic, that can colonize crops and persist in hydroponic systems. The symptomatology and mechanisms of pathogenesis for Botrytis, Colletotrichum, Fulvia, Fusarium, Phytophthora, Pythium, and Sclerotinia are explored for phytopathogenic fungi that target floral organs, leaves, roots, and vasculature of economically important hydroponic crops. Additionally, this review thoroughly explores the use of plant growth-promoting fungi (PGPF) to combat phytopathogens and increase hydroponic crop productivity; details of PGP strategies and mechanisms are discussed. The benefits of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Taloromyces, and Trichoderma to hydroponics systems are explored in detail. The culmination of these areas of research serves to improve the current understanding of the role of beneficial and pathogenic fungi, specifically in the hydroponic microbiome. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological Control of Vegetable Diseases and Bacterial Molecular Biology)
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