Translating Ecological Research into Biological Control Strategies
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 January 2026 | Viewed by 191
Special Issue Editor
Interests: ant-plant interactions; biological control; damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs); induced and indirect defences; innate immunity; plant-plant signalling; plant-microbe interactions; volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Sustainable development has been declared a major goal of the international community, where “organic farming”, “biological control”, and “eco-” have become highly fashionable terms. These terms reflect the hope that a better understanding of the complex interactions in which plants engage in natural ecosystems will allow the development (or re-discovery) of techniques for new forms of agriculture that feed the ever-increasing human population without causing irreversible harm to our planet. In this scenario, we would expect to see plant ecological research translated into widely applied novel techniques and products for organic farming. Unfortunately, in reality, we are far from achieving such goals.
The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight the progress made over the past decade in the field of biological control and related areas, drawing attention to both present and future challenges in applying knowledge generated in real-world applications. We welcome the submission of reviews, research articles, short letters, and reports along the entire spectrum, from basic research to product development. Contributions to issues that frequently represent obstacles in the successful translation of basic research into applications are particularly welcome, and all authors are encouraged to include reports on failed attempts in this context. This research collection will inspire, inform, and provide direction and guidance to researchers who aim to perform basic ecological or botanical research and contribute to the field of biological control.
Dr. Martin Heil
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 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
- biocontrol
- biological control
- induced defence
- mycorrhiza
- organic farming
- plant-growth-promoting bacteria
- plant innate immunity
- rhizobacteria
- sustainability
- tritrophic interactions
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.
