Plant Fungal Diseases and Crop Protection, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X). This special issue belongs to the section "Fungi in Agriculture and Biotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 440

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Department of Plant Science, MIGAL-Galilee Research Institute, Kiryat Shmona, Israel and Faculty of Sciences, Tel-Hai College, Tel-Hai, Israel
Interests: biological control; chemical control; crop protection; field studies; maize late wilt disease; plant disease; plant host–pathogen interactions; plant microflora
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Dear Colleagues,

Fungi are the largest group of plant pathogens, infecting hosts through leaves, seeds, and the soil. These pathogens inflict significant damage to crops through various methods of attack, leading to reduced global production and an ongoing need for new control strategies. The comprehensive approach to managing these crop diseases relies on deeply understanding the fungi involved, the susceptible growth phases, and the environmental conditions that influence disease development. Public concerns about using synthetic chemicals and the emergence of fungicide-resistant fungal strains have led to a pressing need to explore alternative, environmentally friendly methods. This collection seeks papers exploring recent innovations and scientific advancements in fungal diseases affecting plants and their impact on modern agriculture. This includes the consideration of non-pathogenic fungi associated with plants, which may influence the onset and severity of diseases. Enhancing our understanding of this research area will yield practical benefits and essential data for future investigations.

Dr. Ofir Degani
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • biocontrol
  • crop protection
  • diagnosis
  • disease resistance
  • endophytes
  • fungicides
  • integrated disease management
  • pest control
  • plant health
  • host–pathogen interactions

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 7312 KiB  
Article
Comparative Antagonistic Activities of Endolichenic Fungi Isolated from the Fruticose Lichens Ramalina and Usnea
by Lloyd Christian Jamilano-Llames and Thomas Edison E. dela Cruz
J. Fungi 2025, 11(4), 302; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11040302 - 10 Apr 2025
Viewed by 99
Abstract
Persistent fungal pathogens remain a threat to global food security as these pathogens continue to infect crops despite different mitigating strategies. Traditionally, synthetic fungicides are used to combat these threats, but their environmental and health impacts have spurred interest in a more sustainable, [...] Read more.
Persistent fungal pathogens remain a threat to global food security as these pathogens continue to infect crops despite different mitigating strategies. Traditionally, synthetic fungicides are used to combat these threats, but their environmental and health impacts have spurred interest in a more sustainable, eco-friendly approach. Endolichenic fungi (ELF) are a relatively underexplored group of microorganisms found thriving inside the lichen thalli. They are seen as promising alternatives for developing sustainable plant disease management strategies. Hence, in this study, a total of forty ELF isolates from two fruticose lichen hosts—Ramalina and Usnea, were tested and compared for their antagonistic activities against three economically important filamentous fungal pathogens—Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Cladosporium cladosporioides, and Fusarium oxysporum. The results of the dual culture assay showed that all ELF isolates successfully reduced the growth of the three filamentous fungal pathogens with varying degrees, and with direct contact inhibition as the predominant trait among the endolichenic fungi. Comparing the antagonistic activities between the different endolichenic fungi from the two lichen hosts, ELF isolates from Ramalina generally demonstrated a higher percentage inhibition of growth of the test fungi as compared to ELF isolates from Usnea. This study underscores the importance of endolichenic fungi as an efficient biocontrol agent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Fungal Diseases and Crop Protection, 2nd Edition)
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