Biocontrol Agents for Sustainable Plant Disease 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: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 143

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Nanotechnology & Microbial Biocontrol Group, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, La Paz 23096, Mexico
Interests: phytopathology; food science; plant–microbe interactions; microbiology; biological control; plant disease resistance; nanotechnology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The application of pesticides for disease control in agriculture is a common practice worldwide that guarantees crop quality; however, their use can pose a significant risk to ecosystems and human and animal health. Given the growing concern for producing food without harming the planet and its living components, other alternatives for controlling plant pathogens now exist, such as the application of microorganisms as biocontrol agents (BCAs), which include bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and actinomycetes, among others. BCAs have demonstrated high efficiency in in vitro and in vivo studies compared to synthetic pesticides for controlling plant pathogens. The incorporation of BCAs into agricultural production schemes is a global challenge; however, their role as an important component of sustainable agriculture will contribute to food sovereignty. This Special Issue seeks to provide an overview of the most recent advances in the use of BCAs for globally important plant pathogens and their potential incorporation into crop agronomic management.

Dr. Luis Guillermo Hernández-Montiel
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • phytopathogens
  • BCAs
  • pesticides
  • antagonistic microorganisms
  • in vitro and in vivo studies

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 2228 KB  
Article
Diversity and Biocontrol Potential of Fungi Associated with Cyst Nematodes and Soils in Swiss Potato Agroecosystems
by Andrea Caroline Ruthes and Paul Dahlin
Plants 2025, 14(24), 3775; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14243775 - 11 Dec 2025
Abstract
Cyst nematodes are persistent soilborne pests that severely impact crop productivity worldwide. Their protective cysts enable long-term survival and host diverse fungal communities that remain largely unexplored as potential sources of biological control agents. In this study, we isolated culturable fungi from cysts [...] Read more.
Cyst nematodes are persistent soilborne pests that severely impact crop productivity worldwide. Their protective cysts enable long-term survival and host diverse fungal communities that remain largely unexplored as potential sources of biological control agents. In this study, we isolated culturable fungi from cysts of Globodera, Heterodera, and Punctodera, as well as from soils collected across Swiss potato fields between 2018 and 2024. Sequencing identified 78 fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs), predominantly belonging to Ascomycota (73%), mainly Sordariomycetes (59%) and Eurotiomycetes (8%), with additional representatives from Mortierellomycota and Basidiomycota. Fusarium was the most abundant genus, followed by Clonostachys, Chaetomium, and Pochonia, while 28% of isolates remained unclassified, indicating potentially novel taxa. Selected fungi, including Orbilia brochopaga CH-02, Clonostachys rosea CH-04 and CH-15, and Pochonia chlamydosporia CH-51, significantly reduced motility, infection and root galling of Meloidogyne incognita in vitro and in planta. Notably, CH-02 reduced root galling by 63%, highlighting its strong mechanical and antagonistic activity. These results demonstrate that cyst nematodes harbor a rich and functionally diverse fungal community with substantial biocontrol potential, providing a foundation for developing sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to chemical nematicides in crop protection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biocontrol Agents for Sustainable Plant Disease Management)
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