Plant Parasitic Nematodes

Dear Colleagues,

Plant parasitic nematodes (PPN) are economically important pests for numerous agriculture and forestry crops, representing a significant constraint on global food security and forestry health. Damage caused by these nematodes has been estimated at $US80 billion/year. However, this value is likely to be underestimated, as PPN are small plant/soil-borne pathogens, the symptoms that they cause are unspecific, and most of the growers are often unaware of their presence.

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.), cyst nematodes (Heterodera and Globodera spp.), root-lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.), the burrowing nematode Radopholus similis, the stem nematode Ditylenchus dipsaci, and the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus are some examples of PPN ranked at the top in the list of the most economically and scientifically important species.

Current approaches to control these PPN include the use of nematicides and/or unselective pesticides, but many synthetic chemical nematicides pose serious concerns for human health and the environment. To cope with such threat, accurate diagnostic methods for nematode detection and a deep understanding of nematode infection processes as well as of their intricate relationships with the host plants are crucial for the development of effective integrated nematode management programs.

This Special Issue on Plant Parasitic Nematodes aims to publish articles (original research manuscripts and reviews) that focus on diagnostics, detection, and surveillance of PPN associated with economically important agriculture and forestry crops, with a special focus on emergent PPN and quarantine species, improvement/optimization of PPN identification and detection methods, effect of abiotic factors on PPN survival and pathogenicity, identification of risks for PPN dissemination, knowledge of nematode–host interactions at physiological and/or molecular levels, and new sustainable and eco-friendly strategies for PPN management.

Dr. Carla Maleita
Prof. Dr. Isabel Abrantes
Dr. Ivânia Esteves
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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