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Innovative Insights and Challenges in Managing Fungal Diseases in Crops:...
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Innovative Insights and Challenges in Managing Fungal Diseases in Crops: Toward Sustainable Agricultural Practices

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 December 2025 | Viewed by 1011

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Moussa El Jarroudi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
SPHERES Research Unit, Department of Environmental Sciences and Management, University of Liège, Arlon, Belgium
Interests: crop modeling; climate change; environmental impact assessment; sustainable agriculture; agrometeorology; monitoring; remote sensing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fungal diseases in crops represent a significant and persistent threat to global agricultural systems, impacting food security, economic stability, and ecosystem health. This Special Issue of the Journal of Fungi focuses on advancing our understanding of fungal pathogens, their interactions with host plants, and the development of sustainable management strategies.

Contributions to this Special Issue will explore the molecular mechanisms underpinning fungal pathogenicity, host resistance, and the complex dynamics within the plant-microbe-environment nexus. Cutting-edge research on the epidemiology of fungal diseases, innovative diagnostic tools, and the implications of climate change on disease prevalence and severity will be highlighted.

Emphasis will also be placed on integrated disease management approaches, including the use of biocontrol agents, resistant crop varieties, and novel antifungal compounds. This Special Issue aims to bridge fundamental research and practical applications, offering insights into mitigating the burden of fungal diseases while promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

For this Special Issue, we welcome original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and case studies from diverse disciplines, fostering collaboration among plant pathologists, mycologists, agronomists, and environmental scientists. By addressing the global challenges posed by fungal crop diseases, this Special Issue aspires to inspire innovative solutions for the agricultural systems of the future.

Dr. Moussa El Jarroudi
Guest Editor

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. Journal of Fungi 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

  • fungal crop diseases
  • plant pathogenic fungi
  • food security and agriculture
  • host–pathogen interactions
  • plant–microbe–environment dynamics
  • climate change and disease prevalence
  • integrated pest and disease management
  • biocontrol strategies
  • global agricultural challenges
  • ecosystem resilience and crop protection

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1481 KiB  
Article
Inhibitory Effects of Origanum vulgare Essential Oil on Mycogone perniciosa Growth in Agaricus bisporus Cultivation
by Jasmina Glamočlija, Marija Ivanov, Marina Soković, Ana Ćirić, Slavica Ninković, Danijela Mišić, Ivanka Milenković and Dejan Stojković
J. Fungi 2025, 11(7), 515; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11070515 - 9 Jul 2025
Viewed by 394
Abstract
Mycogone perniciosa is the causative agent of wet bubble disease, which induces significant losses in the production of Agaricus bisporus, indicating the high importance of the development of novel inhibitory agents. The isolation, identification, and molecular characterization of five isolates of M. [...] Read more.
Mycogone perniciosa is the causative agent of wet bubble disease, which induces significant losses in the production of Agaricus bisporus, indicating the high importance of the development of novel inhibitory agents. The isolation, identification, and molecular characterization of five isolates of M. perniciosa from diseased fruit bodies of A. bisporus was done. Moreover, the study evaluated the in vitro and in situ potential of Origanum vulgare essential oil (EO) to limit M. perniciosa growth and provided chemical characterization of its volatile components. The obtained strains differed phenotypically and according to their molecular characteristics. O. vulgare EO has shown more promising antifungal activity than the commercial fungicide Prochloraz-Mn in the microatmospheric method. In the treatment of experimentally induced wet bubble disease on A. bisporus in the growing chambers with 2% of O. vulgare EO and simultaneous application of spore suspension of mycopathogen, O. vulgare EO totally inhibited the growth of M. perniciosa. Carvacrol, p-cymene, γ-terpinene, and thymol were dominant constituents of O. vulgare EO examined in this study. O. vulgare EO has shown promising potential to limit growth of M. perniciosa and should be further explored as a novel biofungicide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Insights and Challenges in Managing Fungal Diseases in Crops: Toward Sustainable Agricultural Practices)
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17 pages, 1421 KiB  
Article
Assessing Venturia inaequalis Response to Common Fungicides in Morocco
by Safae Gouit, Safae Chiadmi, Khadija Goura, Ikram Legrifi, Moussa El Jarroudi, Zineb Belabess, Abdessalem Tahiri, Abderrahim Lazraq, Mohammed Baala and Rachid Lahlali
J. Fungi 2025, 11(7), 493; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11070493 - 29 Jun 2025
Viewed by 378
Abstract
Apple scab, caused by Venturia inaequalis, remains a major challenge for apple production in Morocco, where disease management heavily depends on fungicide applications. However, increasing reports of resistance have raised concerns about the long-term efficacy of commonly used products and the economic [...] Read more.
Apple scab, caused by Venturia inaequalis, remains a major challenge for apple production in Morocco, where disease management heavily depends on fungicide applications. However, increasing reports of resistance have raised concerns about the long-term efficacy of commonly used products and the economic sustainability of apple orchards. In this study, we evaluated the sensitivity of five V. inaequalis isolates from the Fes-Meknes region, a key apple-producing area in Morocco, to three fungicides: difenoconazole, trifloxystrobin, and thiophanate-methyl. The identity of the isolates was confirmed based on both morphological characteristics and by molecular analysis of the ITS region. In vitro and in vivo assays revealed significant differences in isolate responses. Difenoconazole consistently showed the highest efficacy, with EC50 values ranging from 0.05 to 1.46 µg/mL, and preventive applications reducing disease severity by up to 85.8% at 10 µg/mL. In contrast, trifloxystrobin and thiophanate-methyl exhibited much higher EC50 values (2.94–29.62 µg/mL and 14.84–1237.20 µg/mL, respectively), indicating widespread resistance, particularly to thiophanate-methyl, whose curative and preventive efficacy rarely exceeded 44%. Preventive treatments were significantly more effective than curative applications for all fungicides tested. These findings highlight the urgent need to revise apple scab management strategies in Morocco, including the rotation of fungicides with different modes of action and the integration of non-chemical approaches. Broader sensitivity monitoring and the use of molecular diagnostics are recommended to better inform sustainable disease control programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Insights and Challenges in Managing Fungal Diseases in Crops: Toward Sustainable Agricultural Practices)
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