Biological Control of Fungal Diseases, 3rd Edition

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X). This special issue belongs to the section "Fungi in Agriculture and Biotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 742

Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fungal diseases represent a serious threat for agricultural production and food security worldwide. They significantly decrease the quality and quantity of agricultural commodities, causing heavy economic losses.  

According to current sustainability policies, there is a general tendency to reduce the usage of synthetic fungicides, whereas biocontrol-based approaches of phytopathogenic fungi are increasingly attracting researcher interest. In addition to providing an overview of the latest insights into the mode of actions, advantages and applications of biological control of fungi, this Special Issue will provide new findings about the use of (i) biological control agents (BCAs); (ii) bio-molecules, bio-inspired compounds, natural compounds and plant extracts; and (iii) eco-friendly techniques aimed at both achieving biological management and decreasing the impact of fungal diseases on crops, agro-ecosystems and human health. Thus, the main goal of this Special Issue is to encourage the development of innovative and sustainable biocontrol-based approaches for fungal disease management. Research, review and perspective articles as well as short communications are welcome.

Dr. Alessandro Vitale
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • post-harvest diseases
  • biological control
  • fungal diseases
  • diseases of tropical fruits

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 6770 KB  
Article
An Endophytic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ZN-S18 Suppresses Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici Through Synergistic Activity of Surfactin and Iturin A
by Dan-Na Ma, Yihan Niu, Mengli Chen, Jun-Nan Yao, Huiming Wu and Taiying Li
J. Fungi 2026, 12(8), 576; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof12080576 - 4 Aug 2026
Viewed by 316
Abstract
Fusarium wilt, caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol), is a devastating disease that severely constrains tomato production worldwide. In this study, an endophytic bacterium, designated ZN-S18, was isolated from healthy tomato stems and identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens based [...] Read more.
Fusarium wilt, caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol), is a devastating disease that severely constrains tomato production worldwide. In this study, an endophytic bacterium, designated ZN-S18, was isolated from healthy tomato stems and identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens based on phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA and rpoB genes. Dual culture assays demonstrated that ZN-S18 exhibited strong antagonistic activity against Fol and significantly inhibited fungal mycelial growth. The cell-free culture filtrate of ZN-S18 markedly suppressed Fol spore germination and mycelial growth, and the inhibitory effect on spore germination was irreversible. LC-MS analyses confirmed that ZN-S18 produces the cyclic lipopeptides surfactin and iturin A. In planta assays further demonstrated that pretreatment with ZN-S18, its culture filtrate, or the combination of surfactin and iturin A significantly reduced Fusarium wilt in tomato seedlings. Moreover, the culture filtrate disrupted fungal cell wall integrity, as indicated by the increased sensitivity of Fol to Congo red stress. Notably, the combined application of surfactin and iturin A exhibited significantly stronger antifungal activity than either compound alone under Congo red-containing conditions, suggesting a synergistic effect on fungal cell wall integrity. Collectively, these findings indicate that the endophytic strain B. amyloliquefaciens ZN-S18 is a promising biocontrol agent against tomato Fusarium wilt, primarily through the synergistic action of surfactin and iturin A. This study provides an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical fungicides and establishes a foundation for future investigations into the molecular mechanisms underlying lipopeptide-mediated antagonism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological Control of Fungal Diseases, 3rd Edition)
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