Sustainable Alternatives to Synthetic Fungicides: Natural and Biological Control of Fungal 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: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 9
Special Issue Editor
Interests: mycologia; fungal genetics; fungal taxonomy; plant pathology; wood pathogens; horticultural pathogens; fungal biodiversity; antagonistic microrganisms; crop protection
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Traditional chemical fungicides used for managing fungal plant diseases pose significant environmental and health risks. Their application leads to soil degradation, toxicity to non-target organisms, contamination of water sources, and the alarming development of fungicide resistance in pathogens. Furthermore, these synthetic products can accumulate in the food chain, raising concerns about chronic health issues for humans. In contrast, botanical fungicides and microorganisms as biological control agents (BCAs) offer a sustainable and safer alternative. Botanical fungicides, derived from plant metabolites like extracts, essential oils, gums, and resins, are environmentally friendly. They degrade quickly, are less harmful to beneficial soil microorganisms and non-target organisms, and present a reduced risk of resistance development due to their varied mechanisms of action. Additionally, they can be more cost-effective and accessible for farmers. Similarly, microorganisms serve as vital BCAs, employing a diverse arsenal of mechanisms to suppress fungal pathogens. These beneficial microbes, including certain bacteria and fungi, inhibit pathogen growth through antagonism and competition for space and nutrients. They also produce a range of secondary metabolites such as antibiotics, lytic enzymes (e.g., chitinases, glucanases), and volatile organic compounds that directly inhibit pathogen growth or spore germination. Moreover, some microorganisms can induce Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR) or Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR) in plants, priming the host's defence mechanisms and increasing resilience to disease. Therefore, this Special Issue welcomes all types of research articles that are based on the growing interest in utilizing new plant-based and microbial tools as effective natural and biological control approaches against fungal phytopathogens, underscoring a critical global effort to limit the reliance on chemical inputs in agriculture and promote more environmentally sound practices
Dr. Antonia Carlucci
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- biological control
- microbial agents
- natural sources
- plant extracts
- phytomolecules
- botanical fungicides
- natural resistance inducers
- sustainable crop protection
- microbial interaction host/pathogen
- systemic acquired resistance
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