Emerging plant diseases pose a growing threat to food and cash crops that are essential to global food security. Safeguarding agricultural productivity depends on the effective prevention and management of these diseases.

In this Collection we invite authors to submit reviews on important, particularly emerging plant diseases of impact to global agricultural and forest production in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

Disease Profiles should address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Significance and impact
• Causal agent(s)
• Symptomatology
• Disease cycle
• Epidemiology
• Management strategies
• Current challenges and future perspectives

Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the journal’s submission guidelines and submitted through the online submission system.

Authors are requested to indicate in their cover letter that their manuscript is being submitted to the Disease Profiles Collection.

For further information about the scope of this Collection or any related inquiries, please contact the journal.

Plant-parasitic nematodes are among the most important constraints to crop production in tropical and subtropical regions, where favorable environmental conditions, intensive cropping systems, diverse host ranges, and year-round cultivation promote their survival, reproduction, and spread. Despite their considerable economic importance, nematode-associated diseases are frequently underestimated because symptoms may be nonspecific, infections often occur belowground, and accurate identification often requires specialized diagnostic approaches.

Tropical agricultural systems harbor a remarkable diversity of plant-parasitic nematodes, including widespread and economically important genera such as Meloidogyne, Pratylenchus, Rotylenchulus, Radopholus, Heterodera, Aphelenchoides, Helicotylenchus, and several other groups whose biological and economic significance remains insufficiently understood. Changes in agricultural practices, expansion of crop production into new areas, movement of plant material, international trade, and environmental change are contributing to shifts in nematode distribution and the emergence or re-emergence of species of phytosanitary concern. Furthermore, plant-parasitic nematodes frequently interact with fungal, bacterial, and other soilborne pathogens, contributing to complex disease syndromes that can substantially increase crop losses.

Major developments in taxonomy, molecular diagnostics, genomics, population biology, ecology, plant–nematode interactions, and management are transforming plant nematology. Integrative approaches that combine morphological, morphometric, biochemical, molecular, and genomic information are improving species identification and delimitation. New diagnostic technologies are enabling faster and more sensitive detection, while advances in genomics and molecular biology are providing unprecedented insights into nematode diversity, pathogenicity, host adaptation, and mechanisms of parasitism. At the same time, increasing demand for environmentally sustainable crop protection is stimulating the development of biological, cultural, genetic, and biotechnology-based approaches for nematode management.

This Topical Collection of Tropical Plant Pathology aims to bring together recent advances in the biology, ecology, diversity, diagnosis, epidemiology, and management of plant-parasitic nematodes, with particular emphasis on tropical and subtropical agricultural systems. The Collection will serve as a platform for both fundamental and applied research addressing economically important, emerging, invasive, and historically overlooked nematode species, as well as their interactions with crops, pathogens, and production environments.

We welcome original research articles, review papers, and short communications addressing topics including, but not limited to:

• Biology, ecology, life cycles, pathogenicity, and host range of plant-parasitic nematodes;
• Taxonomy, systematics, phylogeny, and integrative species delimitation;
• Morphological, biochemical, molecular, and genomic approaches for nematode identification and diagnosis;
• Diversity, geographic distribution, population structure, and evolutionary biology of plant-parasitic nematodes;
• Emerging, re-emerging, invasive, and quarantine nematode species;
• Surveillance, epidemiology, and phytosanitary risks associated with nematode dissemination;
• Nematode diseases affecting tropical and subtropical annual and perennial crops;
• Plant–nematode interactions and molecular mechanisms involved in parasitism and host responses;
• Interactions between plant-parasitic nematodes and other plant pathogens in disease complexes;
• Host resistance and genetic approaches for nematode management;
• Biological control and interactions between nematodes, antagonistic microorganisms, and the plant microbiome;
• Cultural practices, crop rotation, green manures, cover crops, and integrated nematode management;
• Chemical and biorational nematicides and their integration into sustainable management programs;
• Innovative approaches based on biotechnology, RNA interference, nanotechnology, and other emerging technologies;
• Precision agriculture, remote or proximal sensing, and data-driven approaches for nematode detection and management;
• Effects of climate, soil, cropping systems, and environmental change on nematode ecology, distribution, and disease development;
• Sustainable management strategies for economically important plant-parasitic nematodes in tropical and subtropical agriculture.

By integrating classical nematology with ecological, molecular, genomic, and technological approaches, this Topical Collection aims to provide an updated perspective on the diversity, ecology, and management of plant-parasitic nematodes in tropical agriculture. We particularly encourage contributions that improve our understanding of nematode biology and ecology, address emerging phytosanitary challenges, advance diagnostic capabilities, elucidate interactions with other plant pathogens, or contribute innovative and sustainable solutions for nematode management.

Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the journal’s submission guidelines and submitted through the online submission system.

Authors are requested to select the Collection in the dropdown menu during the submission process.

For further information about the scope of this Collection or any related inquiries, please contact the journal.