Collection Overview 

Scientific Reports has launched a Guest-Edited Collection on Disease resistance in plants.

As our population grows, ensuring a plentiful food supply will require a dependable high crop yield, in part by protecting crops from pathogenic threats. Plants have with a sophisticated immune systems, however the genetic homogeneity of our most common crops, along with an increased spread of pathogens due to globalization, renders them vulnerable to epidemics. 

This will be a Collection of original research papers  and will be open for submissions from all authors – on the condition that the manuscripts fall within the scope of the Collection and of Scientific Reports more generally. We are welcoming submissions until 4th June 2026.

Why is this Collection important?

"The topic is highly relevant as global food security relies on developing crops with durable disease resistance. Climate change intensifies these challenges by shifting pest and disease ranges, increasing recurrent outbreaks, and introducing new pathogens to previously unaffected regions. This collection highlights research that integrates plant immunity with genome-based and bioinformatics approaches, enabling the identification of resistance genes, monitoring of pathogen evolution, and development of resilient crops. Its impact includes providing novel frameworks, datasets, and analytical tools to move from reactive to predictive plant-disease management. The collection offers a high-visibility platform for interdisciplinary work, advancing innovation and supporting sustainable agriculture."

- Dr. Nunzio D'Agostino, Guest Editor

Why submit to a collection?  

Collections like this one help promote high-quality science. They are led by Guest Editors, who are experts in their fields, and In-House Editors and are supported by a dedicated team of Commissioning Editors and Managing Editors at Springer Nature. Collection manuscripts typically see higher citations, downloads, and Altmetric scores and provide a one-stop-shop on a cutting-edge topic of interest.  

Who is involved?

Guest Editors:

• Nunzio D'Agostino, University of Naples Federico II, Italy
• Yi-Ju Lu, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
• Ye Xia, Ohio State University, United States

Internal Team:

• In-House Editor: Jessica Luo, Scientific Reports, China
• Commissioning Editor: Emily Sharpe, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK
• Managing Editor: Amy Irving, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK

How can I submit my paper?

Visit the Collection page for more information on the Collection, and how to submit your article.