Horticultural Crop Protection
Summary
Horticultural crop protection encompasses the integrated management of pests, pathogens and weeds in fruits, vegetables, ornamentals and specialty crops. Modern strategies blend cultural practices (crop rotation, sanitation, resistant varieties), biological methods (natural enemies, microbial antagonists, botanicals) and precise chemical or physical tools within an Integrated Pest Management framework. Advances in molecular biology and genomics are revealing host-pathogen interactions that underlie durable resistance, while landscape and habitat management bolster natural enemy communities. Climate-smart approaches, such as reflective mulches and protected-culture screens, further reduce pest establishment. Together, these measures safeguard yield and quality, minimise chemical inputs, support biodiversity and respond to rising consumer and regulatory demands for sustainable horticulture worldwide.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Recent work has shown that foliar application of a giant knotweed extract primes salicylic acid-dependent defences in courgette, triggering rapid callose papilla formation and hydrogen-peroxide accumulation that suppress powdery mildew without synthetic fungicides. Studies on citrus greening have uncovered a Sec-delivered bacterial effector that binds and inhibits papain-like cysteine proteases, delineating a key virulence mechanism and pointing to protease protection as a resistance strategy. Follow-up analyses have recast Huanglongbing as an immune-mediated disease, demonstrating that gibberellin or antioxidant sprays restore phloem cell integrity, reduce systemic reactive oxygen species and attenuate symptom development, thereby prolonging orchard productivity.
Horticultural Crop Protection publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in horticultural crop protection across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Integrated Pest Management (IPM): A decision-support approach combining cultural, biological, physical and chemical tools to keep pest populations below economic thresholds while minimising non-target impacts.
Effector: A pathogen-secreted protein or molecule that manipulates host cells to promote infection or trigger immunity when recognised by host receptors.
Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR): A plant-wide immune state induced by local infection or elicitors, marked by salicylic acid-mediated gene expression and enhanced resistance to subsequent attacks.
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS): Chemically reactive oxygen derivatives (e.g. hydrogen peroxide) produced in plant cells that act as signalling molecules and antimicrobial agents during defence.
Callose papilla: A localized deposit of β-1,3-glucan at the cell wall formed in response to pathogen penetration, serving as a physical barrier to invasion.
References
- Reynoutria sachalinensis extract elicits SA-dependent defense responses in courgette genotypes against powdery mildew caused by Podosphaera xanthii. Scientific Reports (2020).
- An effector from the Huanglongbing-associated pathogen targets citrus proteases. Nature Communications (2018).
- Citrus Huanglongbing is a pathogen-triggered immune disease that can be mitigated with antioxidants and gibberellin. Nature Communications (2022).
- Pseudocercospora fijiensis Conidial Germination Is Dominated by Pathogenicity Factors and Effectors. Journal of Fungi (2023).
- Genetic Improvement for Resistance to Black Sigatoka in Bananas: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Plant Science (2021).
- Black Sigatoka in bananas: Ecoclimatic suitability and disease pressure assessments. PLOS ONE (2019).
About these summaries
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