About this Research Topic
Vaccinium is a common genus of shrubs and dwarf shrubs, including cranberry, blueberry, and huckleberry. These plants have high commercial value, and their berries are considered one of the richest sources of natural antioxidants. The greatest challenge to the production of sound, high-quality fruit is the management of fruit rot fungi. These fungi are typically latent pathogens with unique and specialized lifecycles that are well adapted to the host plant species. Some even argue that fruit rotting fungi may have co-evolved with plants to promote seed dispersal in native habitats. To complicate the situation, several distinct species make up a fruit rotting complex. Thus, management requires understanding of the taxonomy and biology of each pathogen species. This Research Topic will examine the challenges for managing a plant disease caused by a complex of pathogens.
Small berry fruits are commonly consumed for their special taste and health benefits. They are high value fruit, profitable to grow, and becoming increasingly popular worldwide. To ensure adequate production, it is crucial to investigate further the fungi pathogens that cause both field rot and postharvest rot in Vaccinium species. The implementation of novel techniques coupled with the understanding of pathogen lifecycles will allow for the development of new approaches to plant disease control. The goal of this Research Topic is to bring together researchers who study different aspects of fruit rot fungi complexes. The objective is to investigate several research areas including biology, detection, taxonomy, host plant resistance, fungicide sensitivity and integrated models for disease management. The conclusion will be a synthesis of strategies to perfect the growth and culture of berry products.
This Research Topic welcomes all research articles and reviews that include the following:
• Fungal biology and life cycle analysis
• Crop loss assessment
• Fungal population biology
• Pathogen detection
• Host plant resistance
• Modeling and disease prediction
Small berry fruits are commonly consumed for their special taste and health benefits. They are high value fruit, profitable to grow, and becoming increasingly popular worldwide. To ensure adequate production, it is crucial to investigate further the fungi pathogens that cause both field rot and postharvest rot in Vaccinium species. The implementation of novel techniques coupled with the understanding of pathogen lifecycles will allow for the development of new approaches to plant disease control. The goal of this Research Topic is to bring together researchers who study different aspects of fruit rot fungi complexes. The objective is to investigate several research areas including biology, detection, taxonomy, host plant resistance, fungicide sensitivity and integrated models for disease management. The conclusion will be a synthesis of strategies to perfect the growth and culture of berry products.
This Research Topic welcomes all research articles and reviews that include the following:
• Fungal biology and life cycle analysis
• Crop loss assessment
• Fungal population biology
• Pathogen detection
• Host plant resistance
• Modeling and disease prediction
Keywords: Vaccinium species, fruit rot fungi, host plant resistance, fungicide sensitivity, plant disease
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
