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Horticulturae
Special Issues
Fungal Diseases in Horticultural Crops
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Fungal Diseases in Horticultural 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 July 2025 | Viewed by 3477

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sara Francesconi

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Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Via San Camillo de Lellis, snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Interests: plant pathology; genetics; molecular biology; plant physiology; diagnostic methods; phenomics
Dr. Cecilia Miccoli

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Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Via San Camillo de Lellis, snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Interests: plant pathology; pathogen-host interactions; biocontrol; plant biotechnologies; microbiology
Dr. Mounira Drais

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Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Via San Camillo de Lellis, snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Interests: plant pathology; fungal biology; plant disease diagnosis; molecular biology; plant disease management; biological control
Dr. Miguel de Cara-García

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Guest Editor
Institute for Research and Training in Agriculture and Fisheries, IFAPA La Mojonera, Camino San Nicolás, 1. La Mojonera, 04745 Almería, Spain
Interests: soilborne diseases and nematodes; fungal diseases and epidemiology; diagnosis; grafting; plant resistance; biosolarisation; biofumigation; organic agriculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fungal diseases mostly affect horticultural crops. Climate change also affects the distribution of microorganisms worldwide; as a result, novel fungal diseases are spreading in different environments. Moreover, regulartory governements are posing novel limitations on the usage of non-sustainable management strategies to counteract plant diseases. Indeed, novel and eco-friendly control methods coupled with innovative diagnostic techniques are required to efficiently manage plant diseases.

In the framework of this Special Issue “Fungal Diseases in Horticultural Crops”, we encourage the submission of innovative manuscripts that focus on studying fungal–plant interactions, novel management strategies against fungal pathogens on horticultural crops, and innovative detection techniques.

Dr. Sara Francesconi
Dr. Cecilia Miccoli
Dr. Mounira Inas Drais
Dr. Miguel de Cara-García
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 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. Horticulturae 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 2200 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

  • fungal disease
  • horticulture
  • management strategies
  • diagnostic tools
  • molecular interactions
  • biochemical interactions

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 7578 KiB  
Communication
First Report of Fusarium annulatum Causing Bulb Rot Disease of Tulip
by Quanhong Liu, Shu Miura, Tianlan Liao, Jinyan Luo, Ying Shen, Lei Chen, Chengkai Li, Bin Li and Qianli An
Horticulturae 2025, 11(5), 518; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11050518 - 11 May 2025
Viewed by 210
Abstract
Bulb rot is one of the most destructive diseases of tulip (Tulipa gesneriana L.). In November 2022, rotten tulip bulbs and terminal buds were found in Songjiang District, Shanghai, China. Fungal isolates were isolated from the rotten bulbs and identified as Fusarium [...] Read more.
Bulb rot is one of the most destructive diseases of tulip (Tulipa gesneriana L.). In November 2022, rotten tulip bulbs and terminal buds were found in Songjiang District, Shanghai, China. Fungal isolates were isolated from the rotten bulbs and identified as Fusarium based on colony morphology and ITS sequences. Further analyses of tef1, rpb1, and rpb2 barcoding sequences and conidial micromorphology identified the Fusarium isolates as F. annulatum. The pathogenicity of the F. annulatum isolates was verified with Koch’s postulates. This is the first report of F. annulatum causing bulb rot disease of tulip. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Diseases in Horticultural Crops)
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18 pages, 10426 KiB  
Article
Antifungal and Toxicological Evaluation of Natural Compounds Such as Chitosan, Citral, and Hexanal Against Colletotrichum asianum
by Edson Rayón-Díaz, Luis G. Hernández-Montiel, Víctor Manuel Zamora-Gasga, Jorge A. Sánchez-Burgos, Surelys Ramos-Bell, Rita María Velázquez-Estrada, Juan Antonio Herrera-González and Porfirio Gutiérrez-Martínez
Horticulturae 2025, 11(5), 474; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11050474 - 28 Apr 2025
Viewed by 297
Abstract
The Colletotrichum genus is one of the ten most relevant pathogenic fungi in the post-harvest sector owing to its high infection rate in tropical fruits; however, the search for alternatives to synthetic fungicides is crucial because of their adverse effects on health and [...] Read more.
The Colletotrichum genus is one of the ten most relevant pathogenic fungi in the post-harvest sector owing to its high infection rate in tropical fruits; however, the search for alternatives to synthetic fungicides is crucial because of their adverse effects on health and the environment. This study evaluated the efficacy of chitosan (CH), citral (CT), and hexanal (HX) against Colletotrichum asianum, as well as the toxicological potential of these treatments. In in vitro tests, 1.0% CH, 0.03% CT, and 0.06% HX significantly inhibited fungal development in parameters of radial growth, sporulation, fungal biomass, and germination by 78–100% (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the toxicity index was low to moderate for most concentrations using cucumber and tomato seed germination as a study model. Toxicokinetic predictions suggest that CH, CT, and HX molecules do not pose a danger to human consumption, suggesting that they are promising alternatives to chemical fungicides for the control of phytopathogenic fungi. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Diseases in Horticultural Crops)
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16 pages, 8819 KiB  
Article
Brassica oleracea var. sabellica: A New Host of Agroathelia delphinii in Soilless Cultivation Systems in Central Thailand
by Santiti Bincader, Ratiya Pongpisutta, Thipwara Tiansawang, Sirorat Khienman, Panida Boonyaritthongchai, Vipaporn Phuntumart and Chainarong Rattanakreetakul
Horticulturae 2025, 11(4), 411; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11040411 - 11 Apr 2025
Viewed by 442
Abstract
Kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica), known for its high nutritional value and health benefits, has gained significant popularity. Recently, kale grown in soilless systems has also become increasingly popular, as these systems offer better environmental control and improve overall quality, making [...] Read more.
Kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica), known for its high nutritional value and health benefits, has gained significant popularity. Recently, kale grown in soilless systems has also become increasingly popular, as these systems offer better environmental control and improve overall quality, making them an ideal method for cultivating kale. However, in 2023–2024, several kale plants exhibited severe symptoms of seedling and stem rot leading to losses of over 70% in both quality and yield. In this study, the infectious isolates were obtained from stem rot kale grown in soilless cultivation greenhouses across three provinces in central Thailand. The pathogens were identified through a combination of morphological characteristics and molecular techniques, utilizing nucleotide sequences from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) and large subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU rDNA). Pathogenicity tests and Koch’s postulates on 2-month-old kale plants confirmed that the fungus was responsible for causing brown stem lesions and rot. Morphological features and multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) identified the pathogen as Agroathelia delphinii. This research represents the first report of A. delphinii infecting kale in Thailand, offering crucial insights for accurate disease diagnosis and the development of effective management strategies in soilless cultivation systems, which is essential for improving productivity in increasingly variable environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Diseases in Horticultural Crops)
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14 pages, 6132 KiB  
Article
Genetic and Phytopathogenic Characterization of Endemic Colletotrichum Isolates in Major Olive Cultivars of Greece
by Christina Angeli, Polina C. Tsalgatidou, Athanasios Tsafouros, Anastasia Venieraki, Antonios Zambounis, Alexandros Vithoulkas, Anna Milionis, Epaminondas J. Paplomatas, Vasilios Demopoulos and Costas Delis
Horticulturae 2024, 10(8), 847; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10080847 - 9 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1905
Abstract
Olive anthracnose outbreaks caused by the Colletotrichum species complex in the Mediterranean region decrease both fruit yield and olive oil production while also drastically degrading olive oil quality. The presence of various Colletotrichum species able to produce disease symptoms in olive fruits significantly [...] Read more.
Olive anthracnose outbreaks caused by the Colletotrichum species complex in the Mediterranean region decrease both fruit yield and olive oil production while also drastically degrading olive oil quality. The presence of various Colletotrichum species able to produce disease symptoms in olive fruits significantly deteriorates the efforts for an efficient crop protection strategy. In this report, the major olive productive area of Peloponnese was screened for Colletotrichum species capable of generating anthracnose symptoms. Olive fruits of 12 different olive cultivars were collected from 60 groves distributed analogously in the Peloponnese. Thirty-two fungal strains isolated from asymptomatic olive drupes were identified morphologically as Colletotrichum spp. and were multilocus genetically analyzed. The 32 isolates were grouped into two primary lineages resembling the previously characterized Colletotrichum acutatum and Colletotrichum nymphaeae based on the conducted genetic analysis for five genetic loci. The virulence of 16 Colletotrichum spp. strains were evaluated in a detached fruit assay of 10 Greek olive cultivars. The results clearly suggested that fungal isolates belonging to both C. acutatum and C. nymphaeae exhibited different levels of pathogenicity in a cultivar-dependent manner. Thus, cultivars examined in terms of the % Disease Index (%DI) were divided into highly tolerant, tolerant, and susceptible, and those analyzed regarding the % Disease Severity Index (%DSI) were divided into tolerant and susceptible. Our results suggest that the Greek cultivars of Athinolia and Megaritiki are highly tolerant to the vast majority of Colletotrichum strains isolated from Peloponnesian groves and consist of a significant genetic material for the future design of crop protection programs against anthracnose breakouts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Diseases in Horticultural Crops)
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