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European Journal of Plant Pathology

Published in cooperation with the European Foundation for Plant Pathology

Publishing model:
Hybrid

European Journal of Plant Pathology - Call for Papers: Special Issue on “Botanical pesticides for crop protection”

The European Journal of Plant Pathology is seeking submissions for a Special Issue on “Botanical pesticides for crop protection” guest edited by Quenton Kritzinger (University of Pretoria) and Tida Dethoup (Kasetsart University) and Lerato Matsaunyane (The Agricultural Research Council)

Submission open: 18 May 2023

Submission close: 31 January 2024

This special issue focuses on the use of plant extracts and/or compounds derived from plants as botanical pesticides to manage fungal, bacterial, viral, and nematode plant pathogens.

Botanical pesticides have emerged as a hot topic of research globally due to several factors. There is growing concern about the negative impact of synthetic pesticides on human health and the environment. In this context, botanical pesticides have gained momentum as a safer, more environmentally friendly alternative. Research on botanical pesticides is essential to identify new sources of bioactive compounds, optimize extraction methods and formulation strategies, and determine the efficacy and safety of these compounds in pest management. Research will also help to overcome the challenges associated with the use of botanical pesticides, such as variable efficacy, limited shelf life, and inconsistent quality. Botanical pesticides have great potential for sustainable pest management, and continued research is critical to unlocking their full potential.

This special issue will consist of two to three review papers, based on invitation. The greater part of this issue will consist of original research papers focussing on studies related to the topics listed below.

Topics included in the special issue:

  1. Advances in plant biotechnology, genomics, and metabolomics to identify new sources of bioactive compounds from plants and to understand their mode of action. Mode of action can be physiological, molecular, biochemical, or at the individual level (e.g. inhibit growth and sporulation, pathogen infection, and disease development).
  2. Challenges associated with botanical pesticides: for example, phytotoxicity/cytotoxicity, effects on non-target organisms, human toxicity, emerging resistance, limited shelf life, and variable efficacy.
  3. The transition from research to field application. Possibilities and challenges. E.g. upscaling production and the related problems with this. Possibilities to manufacture botanical-pesticides by growers (see e.g. Dethoup et. al. EJPP 164, pages 241–252, 2022).
  4. Economics and feasibility of botanical pesticides. Are they economically viable? Does a grower get a net-return from using botanical pesticides? If not at the moment, what needs to happen to make them economically viable.
  5. Use and efficacy of botanical pesticides in integrated pest management (IPM) programs, which aim to promote sustainable pest control strategies.

Topics not included in the special issue:

  1. Nano-particles. We are planning a next special issue on this topic.
  2. Manuscripts only reporting in vitro anti-pathogen/pest activity is not substantive enough. Manuscripts should include in planta/in greenhouse or in field experiments.

Manuscript Submission Information

If thinking of submitting a review:

  • Please contact one of the special issue editors. 
  • Reviews are by invitation only.

If thinking of submitting a research paper:

  • Research papers may be submitted without notifying us. However, we welcome a note with a preliminary title. Send to one of the editors.

Guest Editors:  
Quenton Kritzinger (quenton.kritzinger@up.ac.za (this opens in a new tab))
Tida Dethoup (agrtdd@ku.ac.th (this opens in a new tab))
Lerato Matsaunyane (LMatsaunyane@arc.agric.za (this opens in a new tab))

To submit a manuscript for this special issue, authors should follow the steps below:

  1. Manuscripts should be submitted online at https://www.editorialmanager.com/EJPP (this opens in a new tab). 
  2. In the section “additional information” Select ‘Yes’ when asked “Does this manuscript belong to a special issue?”, then select the special issue title: Botanical pesticides for crop protection.

All submissions will be pre-checked for suitability of the topic (see instructions for authors).

All manuscripts that pass the pre-check will be thoroughly reviewed through a single-blind peer-review process.


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