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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Phytopathogens: Detection and Control
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Phytopathogens: Detection and Control

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Microbe Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 4300

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Miłosz Tkaczyk

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Forest Protection, Forest Research Institute, Braci leśnej 3, 05-090 Sękocin Stary, Poland
Interests: plant pathology; microbiology; plant protection; forestry; trees; biological control of plant diseases; fungi; oomycetes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, entitled “Phytopathogens: Detection and Control”, focuses on the identification and management of plant pathogens that are critical not only for ensuring agricultural productivity, but also for the sustainability of forest ecosystems. This Special Issue focuses on cutting-edge research on various aspects, including the following:

  • Novel detection methods: exploring advanced techniques such as genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic approaches for accurate and rapid identification of phytopathogens.
  • Disease surveillance and monitoring: discussing strategies for early detection and monitoring of pathogen outbreaks to prevent widespread crop damage.
  • Host–pathogen interactions: investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying plant–pathogen interactions to develop targeted control strategies.
  • Sustainable management practices: emphasising environmentally friendly approaches such as biological control, resistant plant varieties, and cultural practices to mitigate the impact of phytopathogens.
  • Integrated pest management: exploring holistic approaches that combine multiple control methods to achieve effective and sustainable disease control.

This Special Issue serves as a comprehensive resource for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers concerned with phytopathogen control and the protection of global agricultural systems.

Dr. Miłosz Tkaczyk
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. Microorganisms 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 2700 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

  • phytopathogen
  • detection methods
  • disease surveillance
  • host–pathogen interactions
  • sustainable management
  • integrated pest management
  • agricultural productivity
  • forest ecosystems

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2064 KiB  
Article
Morphological, Molecular and Pathological Characterization of Phytophthora pseudocryptogea Associated with Rosmarinus officinalis Dieback in Tuscany, Central Italy
by Alessandra Benigno, Chiara Aglietti, Santa Olga Cacciola and Salvatore Moricca
Microorganisms 2025, 13(3), 567; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030567 - 3 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1695
Abstract
A severe dieback of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) plants was observed in a medicinal/culinary herb plantation in Casole d’Elsa, Siena, central Italy. Symptoms included stunted growth, crown desiccation, root rot, collar rot and internal tissue necrosis, strongly indicative of Phytophthora root and [...] Read more.
A severe dieback of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) plants was observed in a medicinal/culinary herb plantation in Casole d’Elsa, Siena, central Italy. Symptoms included stunted growth, crown desiccation, root rot, collar rot and internal tissue necrosis, strongly indicative of Phytophthora root and crown rot syndrome. Morphological and molecular identification (ITS and Cox1 sequencing) of strains isolated from symptomatic stems, roots and soil revealed the occurrence of two Phytophthora species: Phytophthora pseudocryptogea, which constituted 94% of isolates obtained from the stem, root apparatus and rhizosphere; and Phytophthora megasperma, which was not recovered from plant organs or tissue, being exclusively isolated from rhizosphere soil samples at a low isolation rate (6%). The pathogenicity of the obtained strains was assessed by inoculating eighteen-month-old R. officinalis plants in a soil infestation trial. Plants inoculated with P. pseudocryptogea strains died 10 days after artificial inoculation. P. pseudocryptogea was subsequently re-isolated from the roots of inoculated, symptomatic plants, thus fulfilling Koch’s postulates. Plants inoculated with P. megasperma strains were in good vegetative condition and did not show any visible symptoms, suggesting P. megasperma to be nonpathogenic. Artificial inoculation tests thus confirmed P. pseudocryptogea to be the aetiological agent responsible for the death of R. officinalis plants in the plantation under study. This is the first report of root, collar and crown rot caused by P. pseudocryptogea on R. officinalis in Italy. There is evidence that poorly drained soils and climate constraints facilitate the spread of this oomycete. These findings highlight the critical role of nursery trade in the introduction of Phytophthora species in agroecosystems and emphasize the need for more stringent control measures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytopathogens: Detection and Control)
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15 pages, 1050 KiB  
Article
Highly Targeted Detection of Priority Phytopathogen Pectobacterium brasiliense: From Obtaining Polyclonal Antibodies to Development and Approbation of Enzyme-Linked Immunoassay and Lateral Flow Immunoassay
by Irina V. Safenkova, Pavel A. Galushka, Yuri A. Varitsev, Maria V. Kamionskaya, Natalia V. Drenova, Anna A. Vasilyeva, Anatoly V. Zherdev, Alexander I. Uskov and Boris B. Dzantiev
Microorganisms 2024, 12(12), 2436; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12122436 - 27 Nov 2024
Viewed by 794
Abstract
Pectobacterium brasiliense is a bacterial phytopathogen that causes soft and black rot and actively spreads worldwide. Our study is the first development of immunoassays for detecting P. brasiliense. We immunized rabbits and obtained serum with an extremely high titer (1:108). [...] Read more.
Pectobacterium brasiliense is a bacterial phytopathogen that causes soft and black rot and actively spreads worldwide. Our study is the first development of immunoassays for detecting P. brasiliense. We immunized rabbits and obtained serum with an extremely high titer (1:108). Isolated polyclonal antibodies were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using 18 closely related strains and 5 non-related bacterial pathogens. No cross-reactivity was found concerning the tested pathogens. The ELISA of P. brasiliense was developed in a double-antibody sandwich format with a detection limit of 1.5 × 104 cells/mL. A lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) for P. brasiliense was also developed in a double-antibody sandwich format with a detection limit of 1 × 105 cells/mL. The results of P. brasiliense cells testing with LFIA in plant matrix showed a high correlation (R2 = 0.932) between concentrations of added and revealed cells. When testing potato seed material, ELISA and LFIA confirmed 75 and 66% of positive samples according to real-time PCR, respectively. For negative samples, ELISA showed 84% coincidence, and LFIA coincided with PCR for 89% of samples. Thus, the developed immunoassays can be used to evaluate plant material in poorly equipped conditions or under field testing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytopathogens: Detection and Control)
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13 pages, 1180 KiB  
Article
The Role of Bacteria in Acute Oak Decline in South-West Poland
by Miłosz Tkaczyk and Katarzyna Sikora
Microorganisms 2024, 12(5), 993; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12050993 - 15 May 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1186
Abstract
The process of multifactorial oak disease has been of interest to scientists from all over the world for many years. Recently, a new phenomenon has been added to the model related to oak decline, acute oak dieback, which causes oak decline and was [...] Read more.
The process of multifactorial oak disease has been of interest to scientists from all over the world for many years. Recently, a new phenomenon has been added to the model related to oak decline, acute oak dieback, which causes oak decline and was first described in the UK. This study presents research on this phenomenon in the area of the largest oak stand complex in Poland, the so-called Krotoszyn Plateau. This work was carried out in two stages. In the first stage, 54 trees were tested for the presence of bacteria using molecular biology (real-time PCR). Subsequently, a tissue fragment was taken for inoculation from the trees in which the presence of B. goodwinii and G. quercinecans bacteria was confirmed. The isolates obtained were used to test Koch’s postulates and for biochemical analyses for Polish strains. In addition, the results obtained were also compared with the presence of A. biguttatus, which is considered a bacterial vector, which, in turn, confirmed that the bacteria responsible for the AOD phenomenon can also be present in trees not inhabited by this insect. The results obtained confirmed the presence of bacteria and their potential to cause necrosis in oaks, which fits into the model of the spiral disease that has been causing mass mortality of oaks in this naturally and economically valuable area since the 1980s. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytopathogens: Detection and Control)
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