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Forests
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Forest Fungal Diseases Detection, Diagnosis and Control
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Forest Fungal Diseases Detection, Diagnosis and Control

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 1290

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dianguang Xiong

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Guest Editor
Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: pathogen detection; plant–pathogen interactions; disease control
Dr. Ning Jiang

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Interests: forest pathology; mycology classification; molecular systematics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forests play a vital role in maintaining global biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and ecosystem stability. However, fungal diseases pose a significant threat to forest health, leading to economic losses, ecological degradation, and reduced resilience to climate change. Early detection, accurate diagnosis, and effective control strategies are essential for mitigating these impacts and ensuring sustainable forest management.

This ​Special Issue​ aims to bring together cutting-edge research on ​forest fungal diseases, focusing on innovative approaches in ​detection, diagnosis, and control. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and case studies that address (but are not limited to) the following topics:

(1) Advanced detection techniques​ (e.g., remote sensing, molecular diagnostics, AI-based image analysis);

​(2) Pathogen identification and genomic characterization​;

​(3) Epidemiology and ecological impacts​ of forest fungal diseases;

​(4) Biological, chemical, and integrated management strategies​;

​(5) Climate change and emerging fungal threats​;

(6) ​Resistance breeding and host–pathogen interactions​;

​(7) Policy and management frameworks​ for disease mitigation.

This Special Issue seeks to provide a comprehensive platform for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to share insights and develop solutions for combating forest fungal diseases. We encourage submissions that bridge scientific research with practical applications to enhance forest resilience.

Dr. Dianguang Xiong
Dr. Ning Jiang
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

  • forest disease
  • fungal pathogens
  • detection
  • diagnosis
  • control strategies

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1424 KB  
Article
Comprehensive Genomic Analysis and Evaluation of In Vivo and In Vitro Biocontrol Efficacy of Bacillus velezensis N1 Against Gnomoniopsis smithogilvyi and Neofusicoccum parvum
by Anna Maria Vettraino, Michele Narduzzi, Benedetto Teodoro Linaldeddu, Chiara Antonelli and Andrea Firrincieli
Forests 2026, 17(4), 418; https://doi.org/10.3390/f17040418 - 27 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Canker and dieback diseases caused by fungal pathogens represent an increasing threat to woody plants in both urban and forest environments, where sustainable management options are urgently needed. In this study, the biocontrol potential of Bacillus strain N1 was investigated against Neofusicoccum parvum [...] Read more.
Canker and dieback diseases caused by fungal pathogens represent an increasing threat to woody plants in both urban and forest environments, where sustainable management options are urgently needed. In this study, the biocontrol potential of Bacillus strain N1 was investigated against Neofusicoccum parvum and Gnomoniopsis smithogilvyi, causal agents of canker diseases on Eucalyptus globulus and Castanea sativa, respectively. The whole-genome sequence confirmed the taxonomic identification of strain N1 as B. velezensis, showing high average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values with reference strains. AntiSMASH analysis revealed the presence of multiple biosynthetic gene clusters associated with the production of antimicrobial secondary metabolites, including polyketides, non-ribosomal peptides, and lipopeptides, reflecting strain N1’s genomic potential to produce compounds that may contribute to its antifungal activity. Moreover, B. velezensis strain N1 significantly inhibited the growth of N. parvum and G. smithogilvyi and showed a biocontrol efficacy on detached eucalyptus and chestnut shoots. In both preventive and curative treatments and pathosystems, the application of B. velezensis N1 resulted in a significant reduction in the length of necrotic lesions, compared to pathogen-only controls, while no phytotoxic effects were observed on treated shoots. Overall, this study supported B. velezensis N1 as a promising candidate for the sustainable control of canker-associated pathogens in woody plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Fungal Diseases Detection, Diagnosis and Control)
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21 pages, 6496 KB  
Article
Development of Rapid Isothermal Detection Methods for Heart Rot of Abies georgei var. smithii
by Yaxin Kong, Jieting Li, Yi Li, Gengxin Zhang, Chen Tang, Jiangrong Li and Yonglin Wang
Forests 2026, 17(4), 409; https://doi.org/10.3390/f17040409 - 25 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Abies georgei var. smithii (Viguie & Gaussen) is a dominant conifer along the southeastern margin of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, where heart rot often develops covertly, complicating forest health monitoring and disease management. Fomitopsis subpinicola B.K. Cui, M.L. Han & Shun Liu is an [...] Read more.
Abies georgei var. smithii (Viguie & Gaussen) is a dominant conifer along the southeastern margin of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, where heart rot often develops covertly, complicating forest health monitoring and disease management. Fomitopsis subpinicola B.K. Cui, M.L. Han & Shun Liu is an important causal agent of heart rot affecting A. georgei var. smithii in this region, yet rapid, field-deployable molecular diagnostics of this pathogen remain limited. Here, we developed and evaluated two TEF1α-based isothermal platforms for specific detection of F. subpinicola: RAA and LAMP. To reduce potential cross-reactivity, TEF1α sequences from representative taxa within the F. pinicola species complex and closely related non-complex species were aligned for primer/probe design. Candidate RAA primers were screened by gel electrophoresis to select an optimal pair, and two LAMP primer sets were compared by specificity testing to identify the best-performing set. Both assays specifically detected F. subpinicola with no cross-amplification in the tested non-target fungi. Limits of detection were 9.97 copies/μL for fluorescent RAA (25 min), 9.97 × 102 copies/μL for RAA-LFD (15 min), and 9.97 × 103 copies/μL for LAMP (35 min). In 30 increment core samples from A. georgei var. smithii, all methods consistently detected samples with obvious decay, while fluorescent RAA additionally yielded positives in some apparently asymptomatic samples, indicating promise for early or low-abundance screening. Together, these assays constitute a tiered and application-oriented detection system, enabling flexible selection of diagnostic approaches according to sensitivity requirements, operational conditions, and field surveillance needs for heart rot of A. georgei var. smithii. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Fungal Diseases Detection, Diagnosis and Control)
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8 pages, 1549 KB  
Article
Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Botryosphaeria wangensis Causing Branch Blight of Acer saccharum in China
by Chenxi Shao, Wenxian Chen, Xiaojia Liu, Mutao Wu and Yun Liu
Forests 2025, 16(12), 1786; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16121786 - 28 Nov 2025
Viewed by 404
Abstract
Acer saccharum Marsh., valued for its ornamental, material, and edible uses, is an important temperate tree species in the Northern Hemisphere. A blight disease affecting branches of A. saccharum was first identified in 2023 in Shandong, China. The causal agent was identified as [...] Read more.
Acer saccharum Marsh., valued for its ornamental, material, and edible uses, is an important temperate tree species in the Northern Hemisphere. A blight disease affecting branches of A. saccharum was first identified in 2023 in Shandong, China. The causal agent was identified as Botryosphaeria wangensis G.Q. Li & S.F. Chen based on cultural and morphometric characteristics. Phylogenetic analysis was performed by amplifying and sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA, the translation elongation factor 1α (tef1) partial gene, the β-tubulin (tub2) partial gene, and the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (rpb2), in combination with morphological data. Symptoms observed in the field were replicated in a pathogenicity test through inoculation of A. saccharum branches, thus satisfying Koch’s postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report worldwide of B. wangensis infecting A. saccharum. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Fungal Diseases Detection, Diagnosis and Control)
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