Occurrence and Control of Plant Bacterial Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

Plant bacterial diseases pose significant threats to agricultural productivity worldwide. These diseases are caused by various pathogenic bacteria that can infect different parts of the plant, leading to symptoms such as wilting, leaf spots, necrosis, and reduced yield. Managing and controlling plant bacterial diseases is crucial to ensuring food security and sustaining agricultural economies. This Special Issue will cover a wide variety of areas, aiming to contribute to the overall knowledge of plant bacterial diseases from several aspects, such as:

Development of Novel Biocontrol Agents: Investigate and develop new biocontrol agents, such as beneficial bacteria or bacteriophages, for the management of specific plant bacterial diseases.

Epidemiological Studies and Disease Forecasting: Conduct epidemiological studies to understand the spread and dynamics of bacterial diseases in different agricultural systems and develop models for predicting disease outbreaks to enhance early detection and management.

Antibiotic Alternatives for Disease Control: Investigate alternative compounds and substances that can replace or reduce the reliance on antibiotics for controlling bacterial diseases in plants, considering concerns related to antibiotic resistance.

Understanding Host–Pathogen Interactions: Investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying plant–pathogen interactions to identify potential targets for disease control and to gain insights into the development of resistant crops.

Climate Change Impact on Disease Dynamics: Study the impact of climate change on the occurrence and severity of bacterial diseases in plants and develop adaptation strategies for agriculture to mitigate climate-related disease risks.

Effectiveness of Plant Extracts and Essential Oils: Evaluate the efficacy of plant extracts and essential oils with antimicrobial properties as potential alternatives for controlling bacterial diseases in crops, considering their environmental and economic sustainability.

Dr. Xiaolong Shao
Dr. Zeling Xu
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. 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.

• plant bacterial diseases
• bacterial pathogens
• epidemiology
• disease control strategies
• biological agents
• host–pathogen interaction