Integrating Plant Immunity and Ecological Strategies for Sustainable Disease 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: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 25
Special Issue Editors
Interests: plant immunity; plant disease management
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Plant diseases remain one of the most pressing threats to global food security and agricultural sustainability. With the increasing challenges posed by emerging pathogens, climate change, and reduced efficacy of traditional chemical controls, it is imperative to develop innovative strategies that integrate plant immunity with ecological approaches for disease management.
Plant immunity research has advanced our understanding of host–pathogen interactions at the molecular, cellular, and physiological levels, revealing complex defense mechanisms ranging from pathogen-triggered immunity to systemic acquired resistance. Meanwhile, ecological control emphasizes the utilization of biodiversity, beneficial microbes, natural products, and agro-ecological practices to reduce disease incidence while promoting environmental sustainability. The integration of these two perspectives offers a holistic pathway toward durable crop protection and resilient agroecosystems.
This Special Issue is dedicated to original research and review articles covering all aspects of plant immunity and ecological disease control, including but not limited to molecular mechanisms of plant defense, host–pathogen co-evolution, microbiome-mediated resistance, ecological interactions shaping plant health, and plant disease indentification and sustainable strategies for its protection. By bringing together insights from molecular biology, ecology, and applied agriculture, this issue aims to foster cross-disciplinary dialogue and contribute to the development of innovative and environmentally friendly solutions for plant disease management.
Prof. Dr. Xianchao Sun
Prof. Dr. Lisong Ma
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 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. 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
- plant immunity
- plant–microbe interactions
- ecological disease management
- sustainable crop protection
- biocontrol agents
- agroecology
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