Insect Pests and Pathogens: Biological Control Measures and Biodiversity
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 December 2025 | Viewed by 92
Special Issue Editors
Interests: forest pathology, mycology and entomology; biological control; plant-microbiome-insect interactions
Interests: plant pathology; alternative plant protection; biological control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Insect pests and pathogens pose a significant challenge to forest and horticulture ecosystems, leading to severe yield losses, reduced plant health, and disruptions in biodiversity. Conventional management strategies often rely on synthetic pesticides and fungicides, which, while effective, contribute to environmental pollution, pesticide resistance, and negative impacts on non-target organisms, including beneficial insects and soil microbiota. Consequently, there is an urgent need for sustainable pest and disease management approaches that not only control harmful pests, but also support biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.
We invite researchers to submit original scientific articles, reviews, and communications that address the biological control of insect pests and pathogens. The scope of this Special Issue includes studies focusing on the interactions between biological control agents, pests, pathogens, and biodiversity. By advancing knowledge in biological control and biodiversity conservation, this Special Issue aims to promote sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions for managing plant health while maintaining ecosystem integrity. We welcome research on the role of beneficial microorganisms, plant–insect–microbe interactions, integrated pest and disease management, and the ecological impact of biocontrol measures.
Dr. Vytautas Čėsna
Dr. Neringa Rasiukeviciute
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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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
- forest management
- insects
- fungi
- microorganisms
- biological control
- biodiversity
- mycobiome
- insecticide
- resistance
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