Dear Colleagues,

Plants can be a source of many substances with a protective effect against plant pests and diseases. These substances can be components of extracts obtained using various solvents, as well as components of essential oils. In addition, the protective effect of plants may also extend through accompanying plants grown together with the main crop, either by confusing and making it difficult for pests to find the host plant, or by providing a valuable source of food for beneficial fauna. Introducing plants, particularly those producing large amounts of pollen, along with principal crops is an effective way to increase the biological diversity of beneficial insects and improve the stability of ecological equilibrium in agrocenosis. The continuous search for new substances with the above-mentioned effects, as well as the development of new protection strategies (including a combination of various limiting factors), becomes all the more important in the context of the emphasis placed on the sustainable use of plant protection products and the promotion of integrated pest management.  

This Special Issue aims to collect papers focusing on recent scientific progress and innovation in using plant-derived pesticides (including their effectiveness, influence on non-target organisms, chemical characteristics, and mechanisms of action). Moreover, the Guest Editor and Editorial Board welcome papers on the use of accompanying plants, both single species and mixtures, in the protection of crops against pests and diseases, as well as papers assessing their role in increasing the biodiversity of beneficial fauna.

Prof. Dr. Janina Gospodarek
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• plant extracts
• essential oils
• intercropping
• mixed crops
• pests and diseases
• non-target organisms
• biodiversity of beneficial fauna