Disease Diagnosis and Control for Fruit Crops

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Pathology and Disease Management (PPDM)".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 413

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Shanghai Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Shanghai, China
Interests: disease prevention and control of horticultural plants
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College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
Interests: disease prevention and control of ornamental horticultural plants

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Guest Editor
College of Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Wenhui East Road No. 48, Yangzhou 225009, China
Interests: virus evolution; plant virus interaction
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fruit crops, including tree fruits, small fruits (berries), citrus fruits, etc., play a critical role in global agriculture, providing essential nutrients and economic value. However, they are increasingly vulnerable to a wide range of diseases that threaten their yield, quality, and sustainability. This Special Issue, ‘Disease Diagnosis and Control for Fruit Crops’, focuses on innovative strategies and technologies that address these challenges. This Special Issue will publish scientific articles and reviews discussing cutting-edge diagnostic tools, such as molecular techniques and advanced control methods, including biocontrol agents, resistant cultivars, and integrated disease management, that can mitigate disease impact effectively.

Dr. Liqing Zhang
Dr. Lu Xu
Prof. Dr. Zhen He
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • disease diagnosis
  • field efficacy evaluation
  • biological control
  • breeding
  • disease management
  • plant–pathogen interactions

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 3241 KiB  
Article
Evolutionary Dynamics of Codon Usage Bias in Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus: Insights into Viral Adaptation and Host Interactions
by Haiting Zhao, Lang Qin, Xiaolong Deng, Stuart Reitz, Shengyong Wu and Zhen He
Horticulturae 2025, 11(7), 721; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11070721 - 20 Jun 2025
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Abstract
Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), belonging to the genus Orthotospovirus, is a significant pathogen through its infection of economically vital crops including tomato, tobacco, pepper, and other species worldwide. Given its substantial influence on the agricultural industry, in-depth research on TSWV is [...] Read more.
Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), belonging to the genus Orthotospovirus, is a significant pathogen through its infection of economically vital crops including tomato, tobacco, pepper, and other species worldwide. Given its substantial influence on the agricultural industry, in-depth research on TSWV is of great necessity. Several studies have been conducted on the dinucleotide preference of TSWV previously; however, the information regarding codon usage bias (CUB) and the virus’s adaptive evolution remains inconclusive. Here, a thorough analysis of TSWV was performed by utilizing five protein-coding sequences in order to investigate the characteristics of CUB. It has been observed that the TSWV protein-coding sequences are AU-rich, and codons ending with A or U are also preferred in these sequences. A consistently stable and preserved genomic composition characterized by a lower codon usage preference was also observed. Principal Component Analysis (PCA), neutrality analysis, and ENC-plot indicated that, in comparison to mutational pressure, natural selection has a more dominant influence on the CUB of TSWV. The codon adaptation index (CAI) demonstrated a more significant correlation between TSWV and Nicotiana tabacum. Meanwhile, the relative codon deoptimization index (RCDI) indicated a stronger correlation between TSWV and Solanum lycopersicum. This study is the first to systematically characterize the CUB of TSWV based on its protein-coding sequences, providing critical insights into viral genetic diversity, evolution mechanisms, and host adaptation. The findings advance understanding of plant-virus coevolution and inform virus-resistant crop breeding and antiviral strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Disease Diagnosis and Control for Fruit Crops)
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