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Advances in Research on Diseases of Plants (2nd Edition)
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Advances in Research on Diseases of Plants (2nd Edition)

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 876

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Wei Cheng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China
Interests: plant-pathogen interactions; plant immunity; plant defense signaling; genetic engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In their natural habitats, plants inevitably encounter a broad range of microbial pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, viruses, nematodes, and other organisms. Plants have evolved sophisticated defense mechanisms to protect themselves against these potential threats. Some adapted pathogens can evade or overcome host immune systems to cause diseases, which pose great risks to food safety and security. The advances in research on diseases of plants may provide effective strategies for the sustainable control of these diseases.

In this Special Issue of Biology, we welcome fundamental and advanced applied research articles or reviews on genetics, omics, biochemistry, and molecular biology in the field of plant–pathogen interactions that advance our understanding of plant disease or disease controls.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Wei Cheng
Guest Editor

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • phytopathogen
  • plant immunity
  • plant disease resistance
  • gene expression/regulation
  • signal regulation
  • pathogenesis
  • virulence
  • genetic engineering
  • disease control

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 6389 KiB  
Article
Biocontrol Potential of Rhizosphere Bacteria Against Fusarium Root Rot in Cowpea: Suppression of Mycelial Growth and Conidial Germination
by Qinghua Zhu, Yixuan Ma, Tong Zhang, Weirong Liu, Songbai Zhang, Yue Chen, Di Peng and Xin Zhang
Biology 2025, 14(8), 921; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14080921 - 23 Jul 2025
Viewed by 269
Abstract
The cultivation of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), a vital vegetable crop, faces significant threats from Fusarium spp.-induced root rot. In this study, three fungal pathogens (Fusarium falciforme HKFf, Fusarium incarnatum HKFi, and Fusarium oxysporum HKFo) were isolated from symptomatic cowpea plants, [...] Read more.
The cultivation of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), a vital vegetable crop, faces significant threats from Fusarium spp.-induced root rot. In this study, three fungal pathogens (Fusarium falciforme HKFf, Fusarium incarnatum HKFi, and Fusarium oxysporum HKFo) were isolated from symptomatic cowpea plants, and we screened 90 rhizobacteria from healthy rhizospheres using six culture media. Among these pathogens, Priestia megaterium TSA-10E showed a notable suppression of F. oxysporum HKFo (63.21%), F. incarnatum HKFi (55.16%), and F. falciforme HKFf (50.93%). In addition, Bacillus cereus KB-6 inhibited the mycelial growth of F. incarnatum HKFi and F. oxysporum HKFo by 42.39% and 47.93%, respectively. Critically, cell-free filtrates from P. megaterium TSA-10E and B. cereus KB-6 cultures reduced conidial germination in F. oxysporum HKFo and F. incarnatum HKFi, highlighting their role in disrupting the early infection stages. In greenhouse trials, TSA-10E and KB-6 reduced disease severity by 48.7% and 40.4%, respectively, with treated plants maintaining healthy growth while untreated controls succumbed to wilting. Broad-spectrum assays revealed that B. subtilis TSA-6E and P. megaterium TSA-10E were potent antagonists against both economic and grain crop pathogens. These findings underscore the potential of rhizobacteria as sustainable biocontrol agents for managing root rot disease caused by Fusarium spp. in cowpea cultivation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Research on Diseases of Plants (2nd Edition))
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Review

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29 pages, 9335 KiB  
Review
Plant Disease Suppressiveness Enhancement via Soil Health Management
by Chinmayee Priyadarshini, Rattan Lal, Pu Yuan, Wenshan Liu, Ashna Adhikari, Santosh Bhandari and Ye Xia
Biology 2025, 14(8), 924; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14080924 - 23 Jul 2025
Viewed by 426
Abstract
Managing soil-borne pathogens and diseases in plants is particularly challenging because the pathogens that cause them can persist in the soil for extended periods, often resulting in repeated crop damage in affected areas. These destructive diseases compromise plant health by weakening the root [...] Read more.
Managing soil-borne pathogens and diseases in plants is particularly challenging because the pathogens that cause them can persist in the soil for extended periods, often resulting in repeated crop damage in affected areas. These destructive diseases compromise plant health by weakening the root systems, which makes the plants more susceptible to environmental stress and nutritional deficiencies. Every year in the United States, a whopping $9.6 million is allocated to reverse the harmful effects of pesticides on humans, plants, animals, and the environment. On the contrary, disease-suppressive soils offer an effective strategy for controlling pathogens while ensuring the least contamination of the environment. These soils can be managed by both conventional and advanced methods, such as reduced tillage, crop rotation, organic amendments, nanoparticles, omics approaches, and biofumigation. However, these soils can be local in nature, and their properties might be disrupted by common agricultural practices like tillage and agro-chemical application. This review synthesizes the concepts and mechanisms of disease suppression in soils and explores the ways that can be improved through the management of soil health for enhanced plant health and yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Research on Diseases of Plants (2nd Edition))
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