Horticulturae

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Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants coexist with bacteria and fungi, with whom they have either mutually beneficial or disadvantageous interactions. The former include mycorrhiza, nitrofixation, biological control, etc., whereas the latter result in plant disease development or the harmful effects of plant constituents on bacteria/fungi. The presence of microorganisms affects the physiological parameters of plants, while the host plant modifies the associated microbial communities. The understanding of dynamic plant interactions with bacteria/fungi is thus of paramount importance in horticulture. This Special Issue of Horticulturae, entitled “Advanced Research of Horticultural Plant Interactions with Bacteria and Fungi”, aims to increase our knowledge regarding the following (nonexclusive) interactions of horticultural plants with bacteria and fungi:

Tolerance/resistance to plant pathogens;
Plant tissue structural specificity in plant-pathogen interactions;
Pathogen specialization to plant assortment;
Diversity of pathogens and their geographical distribution and transmission;
Microbiological safety of plant products;
Effects of plant extracts on plant pathogens.

We encourage researchers to submit their original research or review articles, short notes, and communications relevant to the topic. We look forward to your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Edyta Đermić
Dr. Damir Dermic
Guest Editors

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2200 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

biological control
disease management
epidemiology
natural products
plant pathology

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1049 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Trick of the Trade: Unveiling the Importance of Feedstock Chemistry in Trichoderma-Organic Amendments-Based Bio-Stimulants

by Giuseppina Iacomino, Giuliano Bonanomi, Riccardo Motti and Mohamed Idbella

Horticulturae 2023, 9(9), 957; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9090957 - 23 Aug 2023

Viewed by 907

Abstract

We investigated the effect of Trichoderma harzianum in combination with biochar or other organic feedstocks, i.e., fish meal, Medicago, and maize straw, on the growth of Lens culinaris, Zea mays, Oryza sativa, and Glycine max. Biochar and other organic feedstocks were characterized by ¹³C-CPMAS NMR spectroscopy. Fish and Medicago had low C/N and high N content, while biochar, maize, and AC (Activated Carbon) had high C/N. pH ranged from 9.38 for biochar to 5.67 for AC. ¹³C-CPMAS NMR showed large chemical changes in organic mixtures leading to aromatic C-type enrichment in the presence of biochar or AC. Biochar and organic feedstocks inoculated with T. harzianum showed different effects, ranging from inhibition to crop stimulation. Overall, out of 88 cases, T. harzianum inoculum had a positive effect on root length in 46 cases (52.2%). The effect of fungal inoculum was particularly positive when combined with AC or biochar and when non-pyrogenic amendments were present. In contrast, a negative effect was observed when T. harzianum was inoculated with N-rich non-stabilized organic amendments. Further research is needed to identify the specific mechanisms underlying the inhibitory and bio-stimulatory effects of Trichoderma mixtures with organic amendment for the right combinations of raw materials that maximize crop productivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research of Horticultural Plants Interactions with Bacteria and Fungi)

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Review

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26 pages, 708 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Microbial and Plant-Based Compounds as Alternatives for the Control of Phytopathogenic Bacteria

by Laura Košćak, Janja Lamovšek, Edyta Đermić, Iva Prgomet and Sara Godena

Horticulturae 2023, 9(10), 1124; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9101124 - 12 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2004

Abstract

Plant pathogens pose a significant threat to agricultural productivity and food security worldwide. The use of traditional chemical pesticides for plant disease management raises concerns due to the emergence of pesticide resistance and their potential adverse effects on human health and the environment. As a result, there is a growing interest in exploring alternative approaches for plant disease control. This review provides an overview of the antimicrobial potential of some plant-derived compounds, including essential oils, plant extracts, wastes and their major constituents, against plant pathogenic bacteria. The antimicrobial activity is attributed to the diverse chemical composition of these plant-derived compounds and their ability to target multiple cellular processes in pathogens’ cells. Furthermore, the review explores the use of some antagonistic bacteria and fungi as control tools. These beneficial microorganisms have shown promising results in suppressing the growth of plant pathogens through various mechanisms such as competition, antibiosis and induced systemic resistance. This review discusses the advantages and limitations of using plant-derived compounds and antagonistic microorganisms for plant disease management. Moreover, it highlights the need for further research to optimize their efficacy, develop sustainable formulations and evaluate their performance under field conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research of Horticultural Plants Interactions with Bacteria and Fungi)

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