Soilborne Pathogenic Fungi: Systematics, Pathogenesis and Disease Control

Soilborne diseases are widely distributed in agricultural soils. Most diseases cause damage to the root and crown tissues of plants. Usually, they hide in the soil and may not be noticed until the plant’s foliar parts are affected, showing symptoms such as wilting, stunting, chlorosis, and even death. Soilborne diseases are caused by a diverse group of pathogens that often have a wide host range including field crops (wheat, rice, cotton, corn, rape, soybean, etc.), vegetable crops (cucumber, tomato, kidney bean, etc.), fruit trees (citrus, apple, banana, etc.). The predominant soilborne pathogenic fungi include Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Sclerotium rolfsii, Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium oxysporum, etc., and most of them can survive for long periods which are difficult to manage and can cause plant death and serious yield reduction.

Soilborne diseases are difficult to control because they are caused by pathogenic microorganisms that can survive for long periods without their host (the crop). The effective control of soilborne diseases is possible only through the detailed study of survival, and dissemination of pathogens. The study of the interactions between pathogens and their hosts is of great importance for managing soilborne diseases. Advances in molecular systematics of fungal plant pathogens, the molecular function of fungal genes, and comparative genomics as well as fungal pathogenesis/virulence will help better understand the mechanisms underneath these interactions and eventually facilitates the development of environment-friendly biocontrol methods for these fungal diseases.

This Research Topic will provide a forum presenting new progress research in soilborne pathogenic fungi. Original Research manuscripts, Perspectives, Hypotheses, Reviews, and Methods are welcome. The potential themes may include, but are not limited to:

·Molecular systematics of fungal plant pathogens
·Molecular function of fungal genes and comparative genomics
·Fungal pathogenesis/virulence
·The interactions of pathogenic fungi and their host plants
·Biological control or chemical control of soilborne Fungi

Please note that Terrestrial Microbiology does not welcome descriptive research. Phylogenetics, Phylogenomics, or Molecular systematics should be accompanied by morphological or other evidence.