Strategies for Sustainable, Innovative, and AI-Based Crop Pest Management
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 June 2026 | Viewed by 690
Special Issue Editor
Interests: plant–aphid interaction; integrated pest management; herbivorous stress; host plant resistance; chemical ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Ensuring global food security while minimizing the environmental footprint caused by crop protection remains one of the most pressing challenges in agriculture. Conventional pesticide-based approaches, while effective in the short term, raise concerns about the development of resistance, biodiversity loss, ecological imbalance, and human health risks. To address these issues, innovative and sustainable pest management strategies are urgently needed.
This Special Issue of Plants, titled “Strategies for Sustainable, Innovative, and AI-Based Crop Pest Management”, aims to provide a platform for cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews that highlight new directions in pest control. We welcome the submission of studies that integrate advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, remote sensing, and decision-support systems with sustainable approaches, including biological control, ecological intensification, and climate-smart agriculture.
Emphasis will be given to contributions that explore the following:
- Develop AI and machine learning tools for pest detection, monitoring, and prediction;
- Explore the role of precision agriculture and smart farming in reducing pesticide dependency;
- Assess the integration of biological, ecological, and cultural practices in crop protection;
- Investigate the impacts of climate change on pest dynamics and propose adaptive management strategies;
- Present novel frameworks for sustainable and resilient pest management.
Through this Special Issue, we aim to bridge the gap between traditional pest management practices and emerging digital, ecological, and sustainable paradigms, fostering a holistic understanding of future-ready solutions.
Prof. Dr. Humayun Javed
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
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. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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
- sustainable crop protection
- integrated pest management (IPM)
- biological control and ecological intensification
- artificial intelligence and machine learning in pest management
- precision agriculture and smart farming
- remote sensing and digital monitoring
- big data and decision-support tools
- climate-smart pest management
- pest resistance management
- agri-innovation for sustainability
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
