The esteemed journal published a special issue on plant pathology research in China, covering topics from plant diseases to immunity

Plant pathology or phytopathology is a scientific study discipline focusing on plant diseases caused by pathogens and environmental factors. In China, the teaching of plant pathology commenced in 1910. Despite its relatively brief history, China's phytopathology research community has grown into a force to reckon with, contributing immensely to the body of scientific knowledge over 100 fruitful years—a feat that calls for celebrations!

Accordingly, Phytopathology Research—a leading open-access journal from BioMed Central (part of Springer Nature) that publishes cutting-edge applied and fundamental plant pathology research—brought out a special issue, "Plant Pathology Research in China: A Centennial View," on 6 April 2022. Edited by reputed plant pathology researchers Professor Jun Liu from the China Agricultural University and Professor Xiaorong Tao from the Nanjing Agricultural University in China, the special issue comprised a collection of original research and review articles.

When asked about the topics covered in the collection, Prof. Liu says, "We invited submissions in the context of China covering topics, such as understanding and fighting plant diseases, especially the corn, fruit oil plant, rice, and wheat diseases, as well as plant innate immunity and perspectives in plant pathology."

Notably, the collection comprised comprehensive editorials and reviews about diverse topics related to plant pathology in the context of China. A few articles in Volume 5 of the journal warrant special mention, including a review of the disease mechanisms and control measures for the fungal disease impacting apple production called apple Valsa canker (published on 15 September 2023); an editorial tracing the history of plant immunity research (published on 21 August 2023); a review about mitigating the fungal disease called wheat rust (published on 14 February 2023); and a review covering the latest updates on the soil-borne viruses wreaking havoc in wheat production (published on 20 July 2022).

Prof. Liu concludes, "The knowledge gained from plant pathology research has helped achieve sustainable agriculture in China, apart from its global impact." Indeed, the special issue commemorates the progress in agriculture paved by dedicated plant pathology researchers in China.

Reference

Titles of original papers:

Apple Valsa canker: insights into pathogenesis and disease control
Plant immunity research in China
Fighting wheat rusts in China: a look back and into the future
Advances in understanding the soil-borne viruses of wheat: from the laboratory bench to strategies for disease control in the field
Journal: Phytopathology Research

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1186/s42483-023-00200-1
https://doi.org/10.1186/s42483-023-00196-8
https://doi.org/10.1186/s42483-023-00159-z
https://doi.org/10.1186/s42483-022-00132-2