Plant Mycobiome: Toward the Understanding of Its Role in the Biological Control of Pathogens in Agroforestry Systems

Dear Colleagues,

The plant–fungi relationship is immensely complex and dynamic. Plant surfaces and soils are the habitats of a plethora of fungal species, which may have a strong impact on their health, growth and productivity. Indeed, within plant-associated fungal communities, saprophytic, endophytic and pathogenic fungi are always detected. The changing environment affects the fungal–plant interactions, impacting the resistance and susceptibility of plants and the virulence of pathogens. A proper understanding of the disease process, its determinants and molecular mechanisms, and the characterization of antagonistic relationships is crucial in designing strategies for the control of diseases in forestry and agriculture.

Through the framework of the sustainable use of pesticides and integrated pest management, the use of biological control agents (BCAs) represents an alternative to traditional chemicals. The interest in research on the biological control of pathogens using antagonistic organisms in agroforestry systems has been increasing in recent years. Several studies have been recently conducted on food crops, providing information on the mechanisms implemented by BCAs for pathogen growth inhibition and on the response of plants interacting with the beneficial organisms. The same knowledge on trees or woody perennial crops is still largely lacking. In addition to their large biomass, complicated anatomy and longevity, the costs and different silviculture techniques required for the management of tree crops and forestry also contribute to hampering the development of effective biological control measures in these ecosystems. Likewise, the study of interactions existing between the fungal community/fungal pathogens and the host tree has been limited, and these interactions need to be deeply investigated.

This Special Issue aims to collect manuscripts offering new insights into the plant-associated fungal communities' role and their beneficial effects in sustainable agriculture and forest management. Original research papers or reviews focused on (but not limited to) the following topics are particularly welcomed:

• Genomic and transcriptomic studies of antagonistic/pathogenic fungi interactions;
• Beneficial effects of fungi on plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses;
• Biological control of pathogens by antagonistic fungi;
• Plant molecular and metabolic response elicited by fungi;
• Fungi and plant bioactive compounds synthesized during interactions;
• Plant mycobiome analyses;
• Fungal disease in agriculture and forestry.

Dr. Arcangela Frascella
Dr. Giovanni Emiliani
Guest Editors

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• fungal–plant interactions
• fungal disease
• fungal communities
• secondary metabolites
• biocontrol
• plant biotic and abiotic stress response
• transcriptomic
• genomic
• genome-wide associations (GWAS)