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Plants
Special Issues
Integrated Management of Plant Pathogens
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Integrated Management of Plant Pathogens

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 January 2027 | Viewed by 2182

Editor

Dr. Katia Xavier

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, IFAS/Everglades Research and Education Center, Belle Glade, FL 33430, USA
Interests: plant pathology; mycology; bacteriology; vegetable crops; cultural, biological, and chemical control; integrated pest management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to highlight recent research and innovations in integrated pathogen management (IPM) for sustainable and profitable crop production. IPM combines host resistance, cultural practices, biological control, and targeted chemical fungicide application programs. By emphasizing early detection and timely interventions, IPM reduces pathogen populations, minimizes the risk of pathogens developing resistance to fungicides, and ensures compliance with regulations on fungicide residues, thereby enhancing profitability and market access.

This Special Issue also aims to address IPM’s role in building climate resilience by promoting diverse cropping systems that maintain soil health, enhance microbial diversity, conserve beneficial organisms, and support overall ecosystem balance. Contributions exploring advances in biological controls, novel cultural methods, precision fungicide programs, and cutting-edge monitoring and detection tools are encouraged. With this Special Issue, we aim to support sustainable agriculture by securing high yields and food security, minimizing ecological disruption, and adapting to changing environmental conditions. We hope that this Special Issue will be a valuable resource for researchers, agronomists, and policymakers advancing plant disease management.

Dr. Katia Xavier
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 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-anonymized 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

  • integrated pathogen management
  • plant disease
  • sustainable agriculture
  • plant disease management
  • host resistance
  • biological control
  • chemical control
  • disease detection
  • disease monitoring
  • fungicide resistance

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 5576 KB  
Article
Comparative Genomics Analysis and Pathogenicity Assessment of Colletotrichum siamense Strain JDA-12 on Multiple Strawberry Cultivars
by Dong Liang, Xiao-Qi Yang, Xiao-Lu Wu and Chuan-Qing Zhang
Plants 2026, 15(15), 2366; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15152366 - 31 Jul 2026
Viewed by 321
Abstract
Strawberry crown rot (SCR) disease poses a significant threat to strawberry production in Zhejiang Province, China. In our previous study, we identified Colletotrichum siamense strain JDA-12 as the dominant causal agent of SCR disease in samples collected from Zhejiang. However, the factors associated [...] Read more.
Strawberry crown rot (SCR) disease poses a significant threat to strawberry production in Zhejiang Province, China. In our previous study, we identified Colletotrichum siamense strain JDA-12 as the dominant causal agent of SCR disease in samples collected from Zhejiang. However, the factors associated with this phenomenon remain unclear. In this study, a comparative analysis of JDA-12 and other documented Colletotrichum species revealed that the gene families AbiEii and CBM24-GH71, together with two annotated RiPP-like secondary metabolite biosynthetic clusters, are specifically expanded or uniquely present in JDA-12. These lineage-specific genomic features may represent genomic signatures associated with ecological adaptation and host-associated interactions of JDA-12. Additionally, we assessed the pathogenicity of JDA-12 on major strawberry cultivars grown in Zhejiang. The findings demonstrated that ‘Benihoppe’ exhibited high susceptibility, while ‘Fenyu No.1′ showed comparatively strong resistance. Furthermore, we evaluated the impact of environmental factors on pathogenicity and found that short-day conditions (10L:14D), high temperature (~30 °C), and high humidity (≥90%) constitute the optimal environment for JDA-12 infection in strawberries, at least under conditions representative of Zhejiang. This study provides genomic insights into the ecological adaptation and pathogenic potential of JDA-12, while revealing environmental conditions favorable for SCR development, facilitating the development of effective disease management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Management of Plant Pathogens)
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22 pages, 5021 KB  
Article
Bioprospecting Fungal Biocontrol Agents from Florida Agroecosystems Against Celery Early Blight Caused by Cercospora apii
by Larissa Carvalho Ferreira and Katia Viana Xavier
Plants 2026, 15(13), 1941; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15131941 - 24 Jun 2026
Viewed by 357
Abstract
Fungi are a promising source of biological control agents for the management of phytopathogens such as Cercospora apii, the causal agent of celery early blight. Exploring native fungal isolates associated with agroecosystems near celery production is essential for identifying biocontrol candidates and [...] Read more.
Fungi are a promising source of biological control agents for the management of phytopathogens such as Cercospora apii, the causal agent of celery early blight. Exploring native fungal isolates associated with agroecosystems near celery production is essential for identifying biocontrol candidates and supporting sustainable, integrated disease management strategies. In this study, fungal isolates were obtained from leaves and soil samples collected across agricultural and natural environments and their antagonistic potential against C. apii was evaluated using in vitro assays. A total of 48 fungal isolates were screened for growth inhibition, of which 12 reduced pathogen colony size by more than 50% in vitro, representing five morphological and taxonomic groups: Aspergillus fumigatus, Fusarium spp., Mucor spp., Neopestalotiopsis sp. and Nigrospora sp. Notably, isolates exhibiting the highest antagonistic activity over time were predominantly derived from leaf samples (p < 0.0001). Two isolates, Mucor nidicola KX3187 and M. irregularis KX3197, consistently showed strong inhibition of C. apii in vitro (up to 85%), and M. nidicola significantly suppressed disease development in planta. This preliminary study identifies Mucor nidicola KX3187 as a potential biocontrol candidate that showed promising activity in greenhouse trials for celery early blight and provides a foundation for future studies to further evaluate its potential as a component of sustainable disease management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Management of Plant Pathogens)
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18 pages, 2101 KB  
Article
QoI Resistance and Phenotypic Variability in Cercospora beticola Isolates from Sugar Beet in the Russian Federation
by Vladislav V. Sheremet, Rashit I. Tarakanov, Evgenii S. Mazurin, Anna D. Tokmakova, Svetlana I. Chebanenko, Olga O. Beloshapkina, Peter V. Evseev, Konstantin A. Miroshnikov and Fevzi S.-U. Dzhalilov
Plants 2026, 15(10), 1498; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15101498 - 14 May 2026
Viewed by 1069
Abstract
Sugar beet cercospora leaf spot (CLS), caused by the fungus Cercospora beticola, is among the most economically important diseases of sugar beet, and the effectiveness of chemical disease management depends on the susceptibility of pathogen populations to fungicides. In this study, isolates [...] Read more.
Sugar beet cercospora leaf spot (CLS), caused by the fungus Cercospora beticola, is among the most economically important diseases of sugar beet, and the effectiveness of chemical disease management depends on the susceptibility of pathogen populations to fungicides. In this study, isolates of C. beticola from the Russian Federation were characterized based on QoI resistance, molecular detection of the G143A mutation, and phenotypic variability in radial growth, colony morphology, and aggressiveness. A total of 46 leaf samples were surveyed, and 196 isolates were obtained, from which a representative subset of 48 isolates was selected for detailed analysis. The selected isolates were characterized for in vitro radial growth and colony morphology, assessed for aggressiveness on sugar beet leaves, and tested for sensitivity to azoxystrobin based on EC50 values. The G143A mutation was detected by allele-discriminating real-time PCR and confirmed by sequencing of the cytB region. The G143A mutation was identified in 41 of 48 isolates (85.4%). In the mycelial bioassay, all isolates had EC50 values above 0.2 µg/mL, and 38 of 48 isolates (79.2%) had EC50 values exceeding 100 µg/mL. Additional validation with SHAM in a subset of 35 isolates did not alter the qualitative interpretation of resistance. Considerable variability was also observed in radial growth rate, aggressiveness, and colony appearance among isolates. These findings indicate widespread QoI resistance in the analyzed Russian isolate collection and provide a structured baseline for regional resistance monitoring and for more cautious use of FRAC 11 fungicides in integrated sugar beet disease-management programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Management of Plant Pathogens)
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