Crop Fertilizer Management and Integrated Pathogen Management

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2026 | Viewed by 2436

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Agriculture and Food Development Authority Horticultural Development Department, Teagasc, Ashtown Food Research Centre, D15 KN3K Dublin, Ireland
Interests: horticulture crops cultivation; plant protection; biological control and biopesticide; plant–microbe interactions; plant physiology; microbiology; integrated disease management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The special issue "Crop Fertilizer Management and Integrated Pathogen Management" in MDPI’s Plants explores innovative strategies to optimize fertilizer use while mitigating pathogen risks in agricultural systems. Effective crop nutrition is essential for plant health; nevertheless, incorrect fertilizer application might raise disease susceptibility. This issue highlights the interactions between fertilization strategies and plant disease dynamics, emphasizing sustainable nutrient management approaches, bio-based fertilizers, precision agriculture, and their part in disease suppression. Integrated pathogen management (IPM) approaches, including disease-resistant cultivars, soil microbiome augmentation, and biological control, are also discussed. The goal is to provide insights into how balanced nutrient management can enhance crop resilience, reduce reliance on chemical pesticides, and support sustainable agriculture. Researchers are encouraged to contribute studies on innovative fertilizers, nutrient–pathogen interactions, and integrated disease control strategies to improve crop productivity and sustainability.

Dr. Zoia Arshad Awan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • sustainable farming
  • crop nutrition
  • biological control
  • soil microbiome
  • disease resistance
  • bio-based fertilizers
  • precision agriculture and fertilizer optimization
  • nutrient–pathogen interactions
  • integrated pathogen management (IPM)

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

27 pages, 1724 KB  
Review
Regenerative Agriculture and Sustainable Plant Protection: Enhancing Resilience Through Natural Strategies
by Muhammad Ahmad Hassan, Ali Raza, Saba Bashir, Jueping Song, Shoukat Sajad, Ahsan Khan, Laraib Malik and Zoia Arshad Awan
Plants 2026, 15(1), 113; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15010113 - 31 Dec 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2026
Abstract
The world faces increasing food, environmental, and human security issues, primarily attributed to an overburdened agricultural sector struggling to keep pace with rising population and demand for food, energy, and fiber. Advances in food production and agriculture, especially with monoculture farming, have continued [...] Read more.
The world faces increasing food, environmental, and human security issues, primarily attributed to an overburdened agricultural sector struggling to keep pace with rising population and demand for food, energy, and fiber. Advances in food production and agriculture, especially with monoculture farming, have continued to meet these demands but at a high price regarding resource depletion and environmental devastation. This is especially severe in developing world areas with rural populations with thin resource margins. Regenerative agriculture has emerged as a solution to provide shielding for food production, ensure environmental protection, and promote social equity while addressing many of these issues. Regenerative agriculture food production aims to restore soils, forests, waterways, and the atmosphere and operate with lower offsite negative environmental and social impacts. This review discusses the fundamental principles and practices of sustainable plant protection for regenerative farming. It focuses on the role of biological and ecological processes, reduces non-renewable inputs, and aims to incorporate traditional ecological knowledge into pest control practices. It offers essential transition strategies, including critical changes from conventional integrated pest management (IPM) to agro-ecological crop protection, focusing on systemic approaches to design agroecosystems. It also reaffirms the importance of a vast diversity of pest control methods that are culturally, mechanistically, physically, and biologically appropriate for regenerative farming practices. Ultimately, the aim is to encourage ecological, economic, and social sustainability for the future of more resilient and controlled agricultural practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Fertilizer Management and Integrated Pathogen Management)
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