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Agriculture
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Advances in Crop Protection in Organic Farming System
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Advances in Crop Protection in Organic Farming System

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Protection, Diseases, Pests and Weeds".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2023) | Viewed by 11464

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jolanta Kowalska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Organic Agriculture and Environmental Protection, Institute of Plant Protection—National Research Institute, 60-318 Poznań, Poland
Interests: basic substances; beneficial microorganisms; biodiversity; copper replace; non-chemical methods of plant protection; protection of organic crops
Dr. Kinga Matysiak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Weed Science and Plant Protection Techniques, Institute of Plant Protection—National Research Institute, 60-318 Poznań, Poland
Interests: crops rotations; bioherbicides; allelopathy; weeds control; plant growth strengthener

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Green Deal assumes a significant reduction in chemicals in agriculture production. Rules of organic production are in line with the changes planned in European agriculture. Caring for the biodiversity of the agricultural environment, as well as maintaining safe agricultural production and the productivity of farms, represents a big challenge. Therefore, the results of the scientific research should be helpful in making decisions about the implementation of protective measures in organic crops. The principles of combined methods and protective agents used in pesticide-free plant protection strategies should be the continuously developed. Accurate pointing of factors limiting the effectiveness of protective methods and agents would allow to minimizing yield losses of organic crops. This Special Edition welcomes papers focusing on the use of available agents and protective methods, used alone or in combination. Searching for some new substances with protective activity and alternatives to copper is a particularly important aspect of protecting organic farming. The use of beneficial microorganisms to reduce pests and keep plants in good condition, also by stimulating the plant defense system, could maintain the health of plants. Protective methods in organic farming, including the selection of non-chemical methods in weed control and all the studies on weed-crop interactions and allelopathy, are also desired. The impact of biotic and abiotic factors in potential failures in plant treatments should be also considered. The Guest Editors invite researchers to share papers presenting relevant studies of important solutions in the organic agriculture.

Prof. Dr. Jolanta Kowalska
Dr. Kinga Matysiak
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. Agriculture 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 2600 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

  • basic substances
  • beneficial microorganisms
  • biodiversity
  • copper replace
  • elicitors
  • organic crops
  • plant health
  • plant growth strengtheners
  • non-chemical methods of plant protection
  • weed control

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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5 pages, 202 KiB  
Editorial
Advances in Crop Protection in Organic Farming System
by Jolanta Kowalska and Kinga Matysiak
Agriculture 2023, 13(10), 1947; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13101947 - 06 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1244
Abstract
The Green Deal assumes a significant reduction in chemicals in agriculture production [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Crop Protection in Organic Farming System)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Other

19 pages, 7675 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Mixed Green Covers, a New Trend in Organic Olive Growing, on the Efficiency of Predatory Insects
by Ramón González-Ruiz, José Alfonso Gómez-Guzmán, Minerva Martínez-Rojas, Antonio García-Fuentes, María del Pilar Cordovilla, María Sainz-Pérez, Antonio M. Sánchez-Solana, Juan Carlos-Hervás and Antonio Rodríguez-Lizana
Agriculture 2023, 13(4), 785; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13040785 - 29 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1267
Abstract
Intensive soil tillage and the resulting erosion constitutes one of the main problems in olive growing. Palliative practices such as implementing vegetable covers are encouraged. Recently, the method of adding inert green roofs to the soil, either alone or in combination with adventitious [...] Read more.
Intensive soil tillage and the resulting erosion constitutes one of the main problems in olive growing. Palliative practices such as implementing vegetable covers are encouraged. Recently, the method of adding inert green roofs to the soil, either alone or in combination with adventitious vegetation, has stood out. Assessing this agronomic measure is our main objective. This research was conducted in 2022 in the Jaén province (southern Spain), wherein olive groves with different managements were selected: (i) conventional, free from vegetation, (ii) ecologically managed olive grove containing a cover of adventitious vegetation (VC), and (iii) ecologically managed olive grove in which the remains of pruning are added to the adventitious cover (VC-MIX). Vegetation inventories and beneficial insect monitoring were performed using a combined device with chromatic and olfactory trapping. The olive moth (Prays oleae) and lacewing predators were selected as the indicator species. Both the beneficial insect diversity and relative plant abundance were higher in the VC-MIX, where the highest rates of predation by lacewings were found (88%). In turn, these parameters in the VC olive surpassed those of the conventional olive grove. The factors involved in the notable differences between the three management types are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Crop Protection in Organic Farming System)
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17 pages, 3012 KiB  
Article
Phytostimulator Application after Cold Stress for Better Maize (Zea mays L.) Plant Recovery
by Karolina Ratajczak, Hanna Sulewska, Katarzyna Panasiewicz, Agnieszka Faligowska and Grażyna Szymańska
Agriculture 2023, 13(3), 569; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13030569 - 26 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1563
Abstract
Phytostimulators are attracting considerable attention for replacing mineral fertilizers, which are of environmental concern, being especially forbidden in organic farming. The benefit of applying such products based on microorganisms (e.g., algae extract) or minerals of nano-meter-sized particle (e.g., nanofertilizers) is that plants can [...] Read more.
Phytostimulators are attracting considerable attention for replacing mineral fertilizers, which are of environmental concern, being especially forbidden in organic farming. The benefit of applying such products based on microorganisms (e.g., algae extract) or minerals of nano-meter-sized particle (e.g., nanofertilizers) is that plants can uptake them faster than soil fertilizers, targeting plant growth by regulating their phytohormones, as well as improving plant tolerance to unfavorable environmental conditions (e.g., cold stress). The aim of this study was to test and evaluate the effects of three commercial phytostimulators, called biostimulants (a seaweed-based extract—Kelpak®, mineral nanoparticles—Nano Active®, zinc nanoparticles—Dynamic Cresco®) on yield, chlorophyll content, level of CO2 assimilation and the effectiveness of PSII under cold stress. The values of all chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthetic parameters significantly decreased under cold, which indicated a strong inhibition of light-phase photosynthesis in maize leaves. Predicted by the regression analysis minimum, 20 days was enough for maize plants to recover from the inhibition caused by stress damages in their photosynthetic apparatus. At the final measurement in maize growth stage BBCH 65, all the tested phytostimulators showed significant effects in increased values of effective quantum yield of photosystem II, maximum photosynthetic efficiency of PSII and electron transport rate. At this stage, Dynamic Cresco® and Nano Active® treatment significantly increased the value of maximum net photosynthetic rate (15.37% and 18.85%, respectively) and leaf chlorophyll content (7.8% and 8.7%, respectively). The application of Dynamic Cresco® significantly promoted total dry weight by 43.4% in comparison to control under stress growth conditions with cold. These phytostimulators can be used to enhance yield and physiological status of plants after abiotic stress (such as cold) to improve crop productivity, especially in organic farming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Crop Protection in Organic Farming System)
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12 pages, 1479 KiB  
Article
Screening for Antagonistic Yeasts to Manage Alternaria spp. in Organic Farming
by Jolanta Kowalska, Joanna Krzymińska, Kinga Matysiak and Magdalena Jakubowska
Agriculture 2022, 12(10), 1693; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12101693 - 14 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1696
Abstract
Early blight of potatoes when not controlled can lead to major yield loss. In organic farming, disease control methods using beneficial microorganisms are needed. This study aimed to use commercially available yeast strains to prevent early blight in organically grown potatoes. Six commercially [...] Read more.
Early blight of potatoes when not controlled can lead to major yield loss. In organic farming, disease control methods using beneficial microorganisms are needed. This study aimed to use commercially available yeast strains to prevent early blight in organically grown potatoes. Six commercially yeast strains used in the food industry, mainly in baking, brewing and winemaking, were evaluated against Alternaria alternata and A. solani. An in vitro test was conducted to assess yeast antagonistic properties. Production of lytic exoenzymes by yeast strains was determined. In the greenhouse experiments, the abilities of yeast strains to colonize potato leaf surface and to minimize Alternaria symptoms on plants were assessed. Saccharomyces cerevisiae Coobra strain inhibited in vitro Alternaria mycelium growth and most effectively reduced Alternaria symptoms on inoculated plants (from approximately 60% to 9% for A. solani and 14% for A. alternata) after seven days. This strain produced the most enzymes, i.e., amylase, pectinase and protease. After eighteen days, only the S. cerevisiae Coobra population was isolated from the leaves. In conclusion, the Coobra strain shows antagonistic properties against Alternaria spp. and is promising for further field tests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Crop Protection in Organic Farming System)
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19 pages, 4977 KiB  
Article
Characterizing Droplet Retention in Fruit Tree Canopies for Air-Assisted Spraying
by Jun Li, Mingxin He, Huajun Cui, Peiyi Lin, Yingyi Chen, Guangxin Ling, Guangwen Huang and Han Fu
Agriculture 2022, 12(8), 1093; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12081093 - 26 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1564
Abstract
As a mainstream spraying technology, air-assisted spraying can increase the penetration and droplet deposition in the tree canopy; however, there seems to be less research on the maximum deposition volume of leaves. In this paper, the maximum deposition volume of a single leaf [...] Read more.
As a mainstream spraying technology, air-assisted spraying can increase the penetration and droplet deposition in the tree canopy; however, there seems to be less research on the maximum deposition volume of leaves. In this paper, the maximum deposition volume of a single leaf and the attenuation characteristics of droplets in the canopy were studied. By coupling them, the prediction equation of the total canopy droplet retention volume was obtained. The single-leaf test results showed that too small a surface tension reduced the total volume of droplet deposition on the leaf. In this paper, when the Weber number was equal to 144.3, the deposition form changed from particles to a water film, yielding the best deposition effect. The canopy droplet penetration test results show that the air velocity at the outlet increased first and then decreased, and the best effect was achieved when the air velocity at the outlet was 10 m/s. At the same time, when the surface tension of pesticides was 50 mN/m, the effect of canopy droplet deposition was better, which was consistent with the results of the single-leaf test. An average relative error of prediction equation of the total canopy droplet retention volume with 15.6% was established. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Crop Protection in Organic Farming System)
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Other

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12 pages, 2605 KiB  
Perspective
Viewpoint of Chitosan Application in Grapevine for Abiotic Stress/Disease Management towards More Resilient Viticulture Practices
by Rupesh Kumar Singh, Eliel Ruiz-May, Vishnu D. Rajput, Tatiana Minkina, Rosa Luz Gómez-Peraza, Krishan K. Verma, Mahipal S. Shekhawat, Catia Pinto, Virgilio Falco and Francisco Roberto Quiroz-Figueroa
Agriculture 2022, 12(9), 1369; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12091369 - 02 Sep 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2479
Abstract
Chitosan is a biopolymer with various favorable properties (biotic/abiotic stress mitigation, qualitative improvement, bio-fertilizer, bio-stimulant and postharvest management) to meet multiple agricultural objectives. Grapevine is an important crop and has an enormous impact on the world’s economy due to its derived products, notably [...] Read more.
Chitosan is a biopolymer with various favorable properties (biotic/abiotic stress mitigation, qualitative improvement, bio-fertilizer, bio-stimulant and postharvest management) to meet multiple agricultural objectives. Grapevine is an important crop and has an enormous impact on the world’s economy due to its derived products, notably the different wine styles. In viticulture, chitosan application made significant developments towards higher contents of beneficial metabolites in grape berries as well as stress and postharvest management during recent decades, although the reports are limited. Recent investigations by our group demonstrated chitosan as a potential elicitor molecule at a molecular level and opened the possibility to use chitosan for trunk disease management; moreover, there are not yet any methods to combat trunk diseases in grapevine. The present viewpoint aimed to summarize the different aspects of chitosan application in grapevine in facilitating the development of inclusive and more integrated sanitary viticulture practices in a sustainable manner. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Crop Protection in Organic Farming System)
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