Biotechnological Advances in Biopesticides for Integrated Pest Management
A Special Issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747) belonging to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2027 | Viewed by 88
Editors
Interests: essential oils; volatile organic compounds; bioinsecticides
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The intensification of agriculture over the past decades has relied heavily on synthetic chemical pesticides to safeguard crop yields. While effective, their extensive use has raised significant concerns regarding environmental contamination, pest resistance development, biodiversity loss, and risks to human health. These challenges highlight the urgent need for safer and more sustainable alternatives.
Biopesticides—derived from microorganisms, plants, natural compounds, and novel biotechnological tools—represent a promising solution. Unlike conventional synthetic pesticides, biopesticides are typically more target-specific, biodegradable, and compatible with ecological balance. They not only reduce chemical residues in food and the environment but also play a crucial role in integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, where multiple approaches are combined for long-term sustainability.
Recent biotechnological approaches are enhancing the performance of biopesticides by improving their stability, persistence, and delivery in agricultural systems. Advances such as the development of nano-formulations for controlled release, the encapsulation of bioactive natural compounds into protective matrices, and the optimization of microbial strains through bioprocess engineering have expanded the efficacy and reliability of plant- and microbe-derived products. These innovations strengthen the role of biopesticides as sustainable tools, positioning them within the broader framework of next-generation crop protection strategies.
This Special Issue will focus on recent biotechnological innovations that enhance the development and application of biopesticides within Integrated Pest Management (IPM) frameworks. Contributions are invited that highlight microbial, molecular, and nano-enabled approaches to sustainable pest control, bridging fundamental research and field-level applications.
Dr. María Paula Zunino
Dr. Maria Laura Peschiutta
Guest Editors
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.
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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
- microbial biopesticides
- plant-derived biopesticides
- phytochemicals
- essential oils, botanical extracts with pesticidal properties
- molecular and genetic tools for biopesticide development
- plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs)
- Bt proteins
- nanotechnology in biopesticides
- nano-enabled biopesticides
- semiochemicals and behavioral control agents
- allelochemicals
- botanical biopesticides
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