Biological Control: Insect-Plant Interactions for Sustainable Pest 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: 10 December 2026 | Viewed by 2053
Special Issue Editors
Interests: insects as pollinators; herbivores and predators related to plants; pollination; fruit production
Interests: arthropod ecology and behavior; insect and mite pests and their natural enemies; predator–prey interactions; biological pest control; entomopathogenic fungi
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In the context of increasing global concern over the environmental and health impacts of synthetic pesticides, the need for sustainable alternatives in pest management has never been more urgent. Biological control, which harnesses the natural interactions among insects, plants, and other organisms, represents a promising and ecologically sound strategy to suppress pest populations while preserving ecosystem balance. Among these interactions, insect–plant relationships play a pivotal role in shaping the effectiveness and specificity of biological control agents.
This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advances and innovative research at the interface of entomology, plant science, and ecology that contribute to the development of sustainable pest control methods. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and short communications focusing on insect herbivores, natural enemies (predators and parasitoids), pollinators, plant defense mechanisms, and multitrophic interactions. Studies exploring the use of plant volatiles, trap crops, endophytes, or habitat management to enhance biological control efficacy are also of interest.
By fostering an integrative understanding of insect–plant interactions, this Special Issue seeks to support the transition towards environmentally responsible pest management systems in agricultural and natural ecosystems. Contributions from both fundamental and applied perspectives are encouraged.
Dr. Helena Maura Torezan-Silingardi
Dr. Rostislav Zemek
Dr. Eduardo Soares Calixto
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.
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
- biological control
- insect–plant interactions
- sustainable pest management
- natural enemies
- tritrophic interactions
- plant defense mechanisms
- semiochemicals
- agroecology
- conservation biological control
- ecological intensification
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