Plant Pathogens: Monitoring, Identification and Biological Control, 2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 647

Special Issue Editors


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Laboratory for Molecular Microbiology, Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: microbiology; microbial genetics; plant protection
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Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agrarie, Alimentari Ambientali e Forestali, Laboratorio di Patologia Vegetale Molecolare, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Interests: molecular plant pathology; phytopathogenic bacteria; quarantine phytopathogens; molecular epidemiology; molecular diagnostics; innovative sustainable control; auxin; MATE transporters; Pseudomonas savastanoi; Curtobacterium flaccumfacien
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Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture and Nutrition, Institute of Agriculture and Tourism, 52440 Poreč, Croatia
Interests: olive protection; biological control; plant pathology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Different phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria are very often the causal agents of plant diseases are. Due to a lack of data on the susceptibility of different plant cultivars to microbial pathogenic agents, the identification of cultivars tolerant/resistant to phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria is crucial.

As of now, no adequate treatment for different plant diseases of cultivated plants has been found, and there is a need to find alternative effective compounds for plant protection and control. A possible solution to this phytopathological problem is reflected in research on plants’ bioactive substances. Though this research is not particularly prevalent, according to the literature, a great number of plants present potential sources of these therapeutic compounds. These active substances represent potential solutions to contemporary problems in phytomedicine, as the number of registered pesticides is rapidly decreasing.

It is suspected that plant bioactive substances possess antimicrobial efficiency that is yet to be sufficiently researched and applied. The application of these substances could also reduce the use of toxic synthetic pesticides and solve the problem of pesticide resistance in the future, and they may also be the answer to human health, which is increasingly endangered. Interest in these compounds is expected to grow even more, with further and successive studies needed to evaluate the potential doses and methods of application.   

This Special Issue of Microorganisms, "Plant Pathogens: Monitoring, Identification and Biological Control, 2nd Edition", will present the latest research on the identification and characterization of different phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria of cultivated and wild plants. Papers on the antimicrobial effects that complex bioactive plant ingredients have on different plant pathogens are also welcome.

Some of the focal points include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Microbial pathogenic agents of different plant diseases.
  2. The antimicrobial effects of complex antimicrobial ingredients on phytopathogenic organisms (e.g., essential oils and their components).
  3. The use of plant-based biopesticides and bioactive compounds.
  4. Plant disease management.
  5. Plant-based biopesticides.
  6. Fungi and bacteria as causal agents of plant disease.

Dr. Damir Dermic
Dr. Stefania Tegli
Dr. Sara Godena
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • plant pathology
  • biological control
  • plant protection

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 1848 KB  
Article
Vulnerability of Walnut Pruning Wounds to Fungal Trunk Pathogens and Seasonal Conidial Dynamics of Botryosphaeriaceae in the Maule Region, Chile
by Shehzad Iqbal, Iqra Mubeen, Mauricio Lolas, Ernesto Moya-Elizondo, Pedro Gundel, Samuel Ortega-Farias, William Campillay-Llanos and Gonzalo A. Díaz
Microorganisms 2025, 13(10), 2407; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13102407 - 21 Oct 2025
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Abstract
Branch canker and dieback, caused by Botryosphaeriaceae and Diaporthaceae, is a major disease of walnut (Juglans regia L.) worldwide. In Chile, the impact of pruning wound age and timing on susceptibility to these pathogens in walnut trees remains poorly understood. During June–July [...] Read more.
Branch canker and dieback, caused by Botryosphaeriaceae and Diaporthaceae, is a major disease of walnut (Juglans regia L.) worldwide. In Chile, the impact of pruning wound age and timing on susceptibility to these pathogens in walnut trees remains poorly understood. During June–July (2023) and June–July (2024), this study assessed the effect of pruning wound age of the walnut cv. Chandler on infection by seven fungal species and simultaneously tracked seasonal conidial release of Botryosphaeriaceae spp. in the Maule Region, Chile. Lignified twigs were artificially inoculated at 1, 15, 30, and 45 days after pruning, and necrotic lesion lengths were measured six months post-inoculation. All fungal isolates caused significantly longer lesions than the control (p < 0.0001), with Diplodia mutila, Neofusicoccum nonquaesitum, and N. parvum being the most aggressive. At the same time, Dothiorella sarmentorum and Diaporthe species (Diaporthe australafricana, Di. foeniculina, and Di. patagonica) produced the smallest lesions. Susceptibility decreased with increasing wound age, with a significant interaction between fungal species and pruning wound age. Spore trapping of Botryosphaeriaceae revealed that dispersal was positively associated with rainfall (r = 0.81, p < 0.0001), relative humidity (r = 0.51 to 0.61, p < 0.05) and average temperature (r = 0.32 to 0.58, p < 0.05), but negatively or not significantly correlated with maximum temperature (r = −0.59 to −0.79, p > 0.05). These results demonstrate that rainfall or relative humidity, moderate conditions, and favor conidial release. At the same time, infection risk declines with wound age, underscoring the need to adjust pruning schedules and preventive strategies to reduce disease risk in walnut orchards. Full article
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