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Advances in Biological Control of Forest Diseases and Pests: 2nd...
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Advances in Biological Control of Forest Diseases and Pests: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 2068

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Daniela K. Pilarska

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Guest Editor
Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Blvd. “Tzar Osvoboditel” 1, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: protozoa; insect pathology; microsporidia and entomopathogenic fungi; biological control of pest insects
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Margarita Georgieva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Entomology, Phytopathology and Game Fauna, Forest Research Institute—Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, St. Kliment Ohridski Blvd. 132, 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: forest health status; disturbances; invasive species
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Georgi Georgiev

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Entomology, Phytopathology and Game Fauna, Forest Research Institute—Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, St. Kliment Ohridski Blvd. 132, 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: forest entomology; forest protection; insect pests; biological control of the major forest pests; invasive forest insect species; biodiversity in forest ecosystems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, “Advances in Biological Control of Forest Diseases and Pests: 2nd Edition”, will focus on the advances of the biological control of forest diseases and pests, which have gained significant attention in recent years due to their potential to reduce reliance on traditional chemical-based control methods. This Special Issue will present recent advances in the development and use of biological control and bio-based measures against forest pests and pathogens. Moreover, it will highlight the potential of these biological control methods in proving more environmentally friendly, sustainable, and effective than traditional methods.

This Special Issue will cover a wide range of topics, including the use of microorganisms, natural enemies, and genetic engineering to control forest pests and diseases. The integration of insect pest and pathogen management concepts based on natural biocontrol agents is also encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Daniela K. Pilarska
Dr. Margarita Georgieva
Prof. Dr. Georgi Georgiev
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. Forests 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 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

  • biological control
  • forest diseases
  • forest pests
  • microorganisms
  • natural enemies
  • biocontrol
  • beneficial microorganisms
  • pests and pathogens
  • biology of control organisms
  • invasive species

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1613 KB  
Article
Biostimulant-Mediated Suppression of Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands and Enhancement of Quercus suber Physiology
by Katherine Onoszko, Jesús Campos-Serrano, Antonio Ángel García Mayoral, Roberto Jesús Cabrera-Puerto, Hamada Abdelrahman and Francisco José Ruiz-Gómez
Forests 2026, 17(4), 435; https://doi.org/10.3390/f17040435 - 31 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands, an oomycete pathogen of global relevance, is a major driver of cork oak (Quercus suber L.) decline and mortality in Mediterranean forests. Its management remains challenging in multifunctional landscapes where forestry and agriculture intersect, such as Mediterranean oak dehesas. [...] Read more.
Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands, an oomycete pathogen of global relevance, is a major driver of cork oak (Quercus suber L.) decline and mortality in Mediterranean forests. Its management remains challenging in multifunctional landscapes where forestry and agriculture intersect, such as Mediterranean oak dehesas. Conventional fungicides are used against P. cinnamomi, but their negative environmental impacts underscore the need for alternative management in agroforestry systems. This study evaluated whether a commercially available microbial biostimulant, VESTA, enhances physiological performance and mitigates pathogen pressure in Q. suber. Seedlings were inoculated with P. cinnamomi and treated with the bioinoculant via fertigation or watering to substrate saturation, under controlled greenhouse conditions. Plant physiological parameters and soil oomycete inoculum concentrations were measured to assess treatment efficacy. Both application methods significantly improved physiological performance in inoculated and mock-inoculated plants. Photosynthesis, stomatal regulation, and water balance were most affected. Quantitative PCR analyses revealed a strong pathogen reduction, with DNA concentrations approximately tenfold lower in treated substrates (~0.001 ng mL−1) than untreated controls (~0.011 ng mL−1). Overall, the product enhanced Q. suber resilience by improving plant physiological responses and reducing pathogen abundance, supporting its potential as a bio-based tool for nurseries and restoration in Mediterranean ecosystems. Field studies are needed to validate these findings under natural variability and optimize long-term application strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biological Control of Forest Diseases and Pests: 2nd Edition)
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26 pages, 2891 KB  
Article
In Vitro and Greenhouse Evaluation of Fungicides and Bacillus Antagonists Against Diplodia corticola (Botryosphaeriaceae, Botryosphaeriales) on Quercus suber
by Hanna Rathod Uppara, Dalmau Albó, Carlos Colinas and Emigdio Jordán Muñoz-Adalia
Forests 2025, 16(11), 1704; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16111704 - 8 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 845
Abstract
Cork oak (Quercus suber) forests are threatened by emergent fungal pathogen Diplodia corticola, which causes significant economic and ecological losses. This study evaluates the efficacy of synthetic and natural fungicides, as well as Bacillus antagonistic agents, against this phytopathogen in [...] Read more.
Cork oak (Quercus suber) forests are threatened by emergent fungal pathogen Diplodia corticola, which causes significant economic and ecological losses. This study evaluates the efficacy of synthetic and natural fungicides, as well as Bacillus antagonistic agents, against this phytopathogen in vitro and in vivo. Eighteen fungicidal agents were tested across three concentrations, whereas the bacterial antagonistic agents Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and a mixture of B. amyloliquefaciens + Bacillus mojavensis were tested at a fixed concentration. The assayed chemicals, including penconazole, clove oil, vanillin, and belthanol, showed 100 ± 0.0% radial growth inhibition (n = 24) and conidiation (n = 24), highlighting their potential as alternatives to benomyl and methyl thiophanate (Restricted in the European Union). In vivo assays further validated the efficacy of these agents in reducing symptom incidence and seedling mortality in cork oak seedlings. Similarly, the Bacillus-based treatments showed 47.6 ± 0.9% (n = 35) in vitro antagonistic effects and in vivo application on seedlings (n = 470) significantly reduced disease symptoms and supported physiological stability (GLMs with Tukey HSD post hoc). The study aimed to evaluate chemical, natural and biological control agents against this pathogen to identify effective management alternatives for forest nurseries and cork oak. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biological Control of Forest Diseases and Pests: 2nd Edition)
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