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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 13532

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jorge Miguel Silva Faria

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Guest Editor

1. National Institute for Agriculture and Veterinary Research (INIAV), Plant Health, Nematology, 2780-159 Oeiras, Portugal
2. GREEN-IT Bioresources for Sustainability, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB NOVA), Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
Interests: in vitro cultures; ionomics; metabolomics; nematode pest management; plant nutrition; plant physiology and biochemistry; sustainable agriculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Maria De Lurdes Inácio

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Guest Editor

1. National Institute for Agriculture and Veterinary Research (INIAV), Plant Health, Nematology, 2780-159 Oeiras, Portugal
2. GREEN-IT Bioresources for Sustainability, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB NOVA), Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
Interests: nematodes; diagnostics; plant protection; microbe–plant interactions; resistance management; key genes associated with insecticide resistance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants face various threats from pests and diseases that can significantly impact productivity and quality. Traditional chemical pesticides have been used extensively against pests and pathogens, but concerns about their adverse effects on the environment and human health have prompted the search for safer alternatives. Biopesticides have emerged as a viable option due to their low toxicity and minimal environmental persistence.

Secondary plant metabolites, e.g., essential oils or their individual components, could be a natural source for the design of biopesticides. Examples of commonly used essential oils in pest management include neem oil, peppermint oil, and clove oil. Natural compounds can act as repellents, antifeedants, growth inhibitors, or disruptors of pest and pathogens physiology, offering an alternative to synthetic chemical pesticides. Furthermore, the use of biopesticides based on natural products offers several advantages over traditional pesticides, e.g., they generally break down more rapidly in the environment, reducing the risk of long-term accumulation and pollution.

Biopesticides derived from phytochemicals provide a promising alternative to chemical pesticides in managing plant pests. However, the effectiveness of phytochemicals may vary depending on the target pest species, concentration, and application method. Thus, further research and development are still needed to optimize their formulations, application methods, and overall efficacy in order to ensure their widespread and sustainable use.

This Special Issue aims to extend the current knowledge on biopesticides for plant protection through studies exploring the biological activity of phytochemicals for pest and disease control.

Dr. Jorge Miguel Silva Faria
Dr. Maria De Lurdes Inácio
Guest Editors

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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.

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Keywords

biological activity
biopesticides
pest management
plant protection
essential oils
green chemistry
mode of action
phytochemicals
sustainability

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

34 pages, 9140 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Potency of Essential Oils in Combating Stored-Product Pests: From Nature to Nemesis

by Nickolas G. Kavallieratos, Nikoleta Eleftheriadou, Constantin S. Filintas, Maria C. Boukouvala, Demeter Lorentha S. Gidari, Anna Skourti, Dionysios Ntinokas, Marta Ferrati, Eleonora Spinozzi, Riccardo Petrelli and Filippo Maggi

Plants 2025, 14(2), 192; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14020192 - 11 Jan 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 969

Abstract

Sitophilus oryzae, Tribolium castaneum, Tribolium confusum, Oryzaephilus surinamensis, Rhyzopertha dominica, Tenebrio molitor, Trogoderma granarium, Acarus siro, and Alphitobius diaperinus represent significant arthropod stored-product pests worldwide. To combat these noxious arthropods, the current study examines the pesticidal effect of essential oils (EOs) derived from four aromatic plants, i.e., Illicium verum Hook. F., Citrus reticulata Blanco, Monodora myristica (Gaertn.) Dunal, and Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A. Rich. Considering the challenge of pesticide resistance, the current study focuses on assessing the efficacy of these EOs as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional synthetic insecticides. Two EO concentrations (500 and 1000 µL/kg wheat) were applied to different life stages of these pests in the bioassays. Mortality rates were monitored over several days under controlled environmental conditions. The findings demonstrated that C. reticulata and I. verum EOs had elevated insecticidal effects, especially against larval stages, resulting in 100% mortality in several species. On the contrary, M. myristica and X. aethiopica EOs showed less overall efficacy despite their potency against some pests. Both I. verum and C. reticulata EOs outperformed the positive control, pirimiphos-methyl, in several assays. The results of the current study highlight the potential of several EOs as effective alternatives in reducing synthetic pesticide use for integrated pest control management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopesticides for Plant Protection)

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16 pages, 4377 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biochemical and Physiological Responses of Weeds to the Application of a Botanical Herbicide Based on Cinnamon Essential Oil

by Sofiene Ben Kaab, Juan Antonio Fernández Pierna, Berenice Foncoux, Philippe Compère, Vincent Baeten and M. Haïssam Jijakli

Plants 2024, 13(23), 3432; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13233432 - 6 Dec 2024

Viewed by 1368

Abstract

The use of chemical herbicides induces negative impacts on the environment, animals, and human health. It also leads to the development of herbicide-resistant weeds. In this context, natural and efficacious herbicides are highly sought after. Essential oils are natural compounds with antibacterial, fungicidal, and phytotoxic properties. For this reason, we studied the post-emergence phytotoxic effect of cinnamon essential oil (cinnamon EO) from Cinnamomum cassia under greenhouse conditions, testing it against Trifolium incarnatum (T. incarnatum) and Lolium perenne (L. perenne). The content of malondialdehyde (MDA), percentage of water loss, electrolyte leakage, and the fluorescence of treated leaves by cinnamon EO were determined in order to understand the physiological and biochemical responses. In addition, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to study the effect of cinnamon EO on cellular organelles in different tissues of T. incarnatum leaves. Results showed that cinnamon EO quickly induced oxidative stress in treated leaves by increasing MDA content, impacting membrane integrity and causing water loss. TEM observations confirmed the cell desiccation by cellular plasmolysis and showed an alteration of the membrane integrity and chloroplast damages. Moreover, Raman analysis confirms the disturbance of the plant metabolism by the disappearance of some scattering bands which correspond to primary metabolites. Through our finding, we confirm that cinnamon essential oil (EO) could be proposed in the future as a potential bioherbicide and a suitable source of natural phytotoxic compounds with a multisite action on weeds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopesticides for Plant Protection)

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20 pages, 2510 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chemical Composition of Five Lamiaceae Essential Oils and Their Insecticidal and Phytotoxic Activity

by Tianhao Pei, Yijin Zhao, Xudong Huang, Yinyue Zhao, Liudan Pan, Lingwei Wang, Hexin Gao, Meng-Lei Xu and Yu Gao

Plants 2024, 13(16), 2204; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13162204 - 9 Aug 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2227

Abstract

The Lamiaceae family is widely distributed worldwide. In this study, we investigated the insecticidal activity of five Lamiaceae essential oils against Thrips flavus Schrank and the phytotoxic activity against Glycine max (L.) Merr., Zea mays L., Portulaca oleracea L., and Echinochloa oryzoides (Ard.) Fritsch. Then, the chemical composition of the five essential oils was analyzed by using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The five Lamiaceae essential oils were melissa, basil, rosemary, negundo chastetree, and salvia. The main constituents of the five Lamiaceae essential oils were preliminarily determined to be as follows: α-pinene and 1,8-cineole in the rosemary essential oil; β-pinene, γ-terpinene, and d-limonene in the negundo chastetree essential oil; β-cadinene and isolongifolen-5-one in the melissa essential oil; 5-allylguaiacol in the basil essential oil; and isopropyl myristate, linalyl acetate, and linalool in the salvia essential oil. Using a bioassay, it was found that, among the five essential oils, the melissa essential oil exhibited the lowest LC₅₀ value, which was 0.18 mg/mL, and the salvia essential oil exhibited the highest LC₅₀ value, which was 0.42 mg/mL. The control efficacy of the five essential oils significantly increased with time and concentration in pot experiments. The negundo chastetree, basil, rosemary, and salvia essential oils at 900.00 g a.i.·hm⁻² showed high control efficacy against T. flavus, with values higher than 90%. Female thrips were attracted to the negundo chastetree essential oil. The five essential oils were also tested for their effects on the germination rate, germination potential, germination index, and shoot length of G. max, Z. mays, P. oleracea, and E. oryzoides. The basil essential oil significantly inhibited the germination of P. oleracea, with germination at a concentration of 1.0 mg/mL being only 11.11 ± 5.09%. This study provides a reference for the development of botanical pesticides to control T. flavus, crops, and weeds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopesticides for Plant Protection)

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13 pages, 2392 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential of Chitosan for the Control of Powdery Mildew (Leveillula taurica (Lév.) Arnaud) in a Jalapeño Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Cultivar

by Omar Jiménez-Pérez, Gabriel Gallegos-Morales, Cesar Alejandro Espinoza-Ahumada, Carolina Delgado-Luna, Pablo Preciado-Rangel and Bernardo Espinosa-Palomeque

Plants 2024, 13(7), 915; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13070915 - 22 Mar 2024

Viewed by 2608

Abstract

One of the phytopathogens that cause severe damage to jalapeño pepper is Leveillula taurica (Lév.) Arnaud, the causative agent of powdery mildew. Synthetic fungicides are currently employed for its control, contributing to adverse effects on human health and the environment. The main objective of this research was to identify the causal agent of powdery mildew and assess the efficacy of chitosan in powdery mildew control on jalapeño pepper. The following treatments were evaluated in laboratory and greenhouse conditions: T1 = 0.0125% chitosan, T2 = 0.0025% chitosan, T3 = 0.05% chitosan, T4 = 0.1% chitosan, T5 = 0.2% chitosan, T6 = tebuconazole 25% (1.8 mL/L water), and T7 = control (water). Symptomatology results indicated that L. taurica is indeed the causative agent of powdery mildew. Treatments T4 and T5 exhibited the lowest percentages of incidences and severity, hence achieving higher control efficacy in the laboratory (57.70 ± 3.85 and 65.39 ± 3.85) and greenhouse (56.67 ± 4.08 and 70 ± 8.16%) compared to T6 (control efficacy, 38.46 ± 0.00% in the laboratory and 50 ± 0.00% in the greenhouse). The chitosan derived from shrimp had a significant impact on the cell walls of L. taurica spores and mycelium. Consequently, chitosan emerges as a viable organic alternative to fungicides for controlling powdery mildew in jalapeño pepper. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopesticides for Plant Protection)

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15 pages, 1112 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Nematicidal Activity of Phytochemicals against the Root-Lesion Nematode Pratylenchus penetrans

by Pedro Barbosa, Jorge M. S. Faria, Tomás Cavaco, Ana Cristina Figueiredo, Manuel Mota and Cláudia S. L. Vicente

Plants 2024, 13(5), 726; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13050726 - 4 Mar 2024

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3457

Abstract

Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) are highly damaging pests responsible for heavy losses in worldwide productivity in a significant number of important plant crops. Common pest management strategies rely on the use of synthetic chemical nematicides, which have led to serious concerns regarding their impacts on human health and the environment. Plant natural products, or phytochemicals, can provide a good source of agents for sustainable control of PPNs, due to their intrinsic characteristics such as higher biodegradability, generally low toxicity for mammals, and lower bioaccumulation in the environment. In this work, the nematicidal activity of 39 phytochemicals was determined against the root-lesion nematode (RLN) Pratylenchus penetrans using standard direct and indirect contact methodologies. Overall, the RLN was tolerant to the tested phytochemicals at the highest concentration, 2 mg/mL, seldom reaching full mortality. However, high activities were obtained for benzaldehyde, carvacrol, 3-octanol, and thymol, in comparison to other phytochemicals or the synthetic nematicide oxamyl. These phytochemicals were seen to damage nematode internal tissues but not its cuticle shape. Also, the environmental and (eco)toxicological parameters reported for these compounds suggest lower toxicity and higher safety of use than oxamyl. These compounds appear to be good candidates for the development of biopesticides for a more sustainable pest management strategy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopesticides for Plant Protection)

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Review

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18 pages, 1253 KiB

Open AccessReview

Entomopathogenic Bacteria Species and Toxins Targeting Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae): A Review

by Erubiel Toledo-Hernández, Mary Carmen Torres-Quíntero, Ilse Mancilla-Dorantes, César Sotelo-Leyva, Edgar Jesús Delgado-Núñez, Víctor Manuel Hernández-Velázquez, Emmanuel Dunstand-Guzmán, David Osvaldo Salinas-Sánchez and Guadalupe Peña-Chora

Plants 2025, 14(6), 943; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14060943 - 17 Mar 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 584

Abstract

Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) are cosmopolitan generalist pests of many agricultural crops. Their ability to reproduce rapidly through parthenogenesis allows them to quickly reach population sizes that are difficult to control. Their damage potential is further exacerbated when they act as vectors for plant pathogens, causing diseases in plants. Aphids are typically managed through the widespread use of insecticides, increasing the likelihood of short-term insecticide resistance. However, for the past few decades, entomopathogenic bacteria have been used as an alternative management strategy. Entomopathogenic bacteria have demonstrated their effectiveness for biologically suppressing insect pests, including aphids. In addition to identifying bacterial species that are pathogenic to aphids, research has been conducted on toxins such as Cry, Cyt, Vip, recombinant proteins, and other secondary metabolites with insecticidal activity. Most studies on aphids have been conducted in vitro, exposing them to an artificial diet contaminated with entomopathogenic bacteria or bacterial metabolites for periods ranging from 24 to 96 h. The discovery of new bacterial species with insecticidal potential, as well as the possibility of biotechnological applications through the genetic improvement of crops, will provide more alternatives for managing these agricultural pests in the future. This will also help address challenges related to field application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopesticides for Plant Protection)

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17 pages, 785 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review of Biological Control One Decade After the Sorghum Aphid (Melanaphis sorghi) Outbreak

by Erubiel Toledo-Hernández, Guadalupe Peña-Chora, Ilse Mancilla-Dorantes, Francisco Israel Torres-Rojas, Yanet Romero-Ramírez, Francisco Palemón-Alberto, Santo Ángel Ortega-Acosta, Edgar Jesús Delgado-Núñez, David Osvaldo Salinas-Sánchez, Luz Janet Tagle-Emigdio and César Sotelo-Leyva

Plants 2024, 13(20), 2873; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13202873 - 14 Oct 2024

Viewed by 1319

Abstract

Melanaphis sorghi is a pest that is native to Africa but is now distributed worldwide. In 2013, its destructive capacity was demonstrated when it devastated sorghum crops in the United States and Mexico, making it a new pest of economic importance in North America. At the time, the phytosanitary authorities of both countries recommended the use of pesticides to control the outbreak, and biological control products for the management of this pest were not known. In response to the outbreak of M. sorghi in North America, several field studies have been performed in the last decade on sorghum crops in the USA and Mexico. Works have focused on assessing resistant sorghum hybrids, pesticide use, and recruitment of associated aphid predators and entomopathogens for natural control of M. sorghi populations. The objective of this review is to compile the information that has been generated in the past decade about indigenous enemies affecting M. sorghi naturally in the field, as well as the search for biological control alternatives and evaluations of interactive effects of resistant sorghum hybrids, pesticides, and natural enemies. To date, different predators, parasitoids, fungi, and bacteria have been evaluated and in many cases found to affect M. sorghi populations in sorghum agroecosystems or laboratory bioassays, and the use of resistant sorghum varieties and pesticides did not have clear toxic effects on natural enemy populations. Many of the macroorganisms and microorganisms that have been evaluated as potential biological controls have shown potential as alternatives to synthetic pesticides for keeping M. sorghi population densities below economic damage thresholds and are compatible with integrated management of sorghum aphids. While most tests of these biological alternatives have shown that they have aphidicidal potential against sorghum aphids, it is crucial to take into account that their effectiveness in the field depends on a number of abiotic and biotic factors, including soil texture, temperature, humidity, and natural enemies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopesticides for Plant Protection)

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