Call for papers: Parasitic plants, people and planet
Last updated: 29 Jul, 2022
Over one per cent of flowering plants are parasitic and extract food and water from other plants. They have a profound effect on both natural and agricultural systems. They include evolutionary enigmas, for example plants that grow inside other plants, and ecosystem engineers, for example hemiparasites that regulate biodiversity in plant communities. Parasitic plants are also a powerful public engagement mechanic at a time when fostering care and attention for plants has never been more urgent.
As weeds, some parasitic plants have a significant impact on the health, wellbeing, and livelihoods of people around the world. The genera Striga (witchweeds), Orobanche and Phelipanche (broomrapes) in the family Orobanchaceae, are some of the most destructive weeds globally. These parasites infect over 50 million hectares of arable land in sub-Saharan Africa resulting in annual losses of more than US$10 billion. This dire situation will be made worse by the effects of climate change and requires urgent solutions. Emerging research now provides insights that will enable strategies for controlling parasitic weeds using cross-disciplinary approaches.
This special issue will highlight current research on parasitic plants following the 16th World Congress on Parasitic Plants held in Nairobi, Kenya between July 3 and July 8, 2022.
Photo courtesy of Steven Runo
Interdisciplinary approaches to examining the evolutionary ecology of parasitic plants, and addressing the challenges associated with parasitic weeds and their impact on people, society and the wider world are all encouraged. Submissions are welcome on a broad range of research topics, including but not exclusively:
- Host resistance and virulence: Underpinnings of host resistance against parasitic plants, association mapping of resistance against parasitic plants. Papers explaining virulence of parasitic plants are also encouraged.
- Genes and genomes: Including gene expression analysis, and genome sequencing and how this enhances mechanistic understanding of plant-parasite interactions and of evolutionary relationships of parasitic plants.
- Molecules and biochemistry: Rhizospheric communication between parasitic plants and hosts including molecular stimulation and inhibition of parasite seed germination, control strategies using hormones and other molecules.
- Parasitic plant biology and ecology: Growth and development of parasitic plants including haustoria structures, ecological aspects of parasitic plants such as distribution range, hyperspectral imaging and emerging threats by parasitic plants. Other areas include interactions of parasitic plants with microbes and fauna such as pollinators.
- Phylogeny and evolution of parasitic plants: Evolution of parasitic plants and phylogenetic relationships, adaptation of parasitic plants by leveraging genomics as well as aspects of host-specific selection by parasitic plants.
- Control and management of parasitic plants: All aspects of control and management of parasitic plants using cross-disciplinary approaches.
- Economic impact and policy: Economic aspects of parasitic plants, global policies on diversity, conservation and utilisation of parasitic plants.
To ensure special issue manuscripts meet the aims and scope of Plants, People, Planet, submissions should be placed in the wider context of their relevance to people, society and the planet, including any implications for policy and / or practice. These themes should also be highlighted in a 100 word Societal Impact Statement to accompany submissions (please see the submission guidelines below for details).
Please submit your manuscript by February, 28, 2023. Please contact the editorial office if you have any questions, or a potential manuscript that you would like to discuss.
With best wishes,
Steven Runo, Susann Wicke, Tadao Asami and Chris Thorogood
Guidelines
Plants, People, Planet, published by the not-for-profit New Phytologist Foundation, is an Open Access journal that aims to celebrate everything new, innovative and exciting in plant-focused research that is relevant to society and people’s daily lives.
Articles submitted for consideration in Plants, People, Planet will be subject to peer review and must meet the aims and scope of the journal. Articles should include an engaging 100 word Societal Impact Statement to highlight why the work matters to people, society and the planet.
We can publish alternative language versions of the Societal Impact Statement to enhance the reach and impact of your work. Please include any translated versions of this text when submitting your work. See an example of an alternative language Societal Impact Statement in English, French and Spanish.
Please note, Wiley has arrangements to cover the publication fee for authors based in certain institutions or regions, and there are some waivers and discounts available for special issue authors who lack funds and are not covered by one of these two routes. We do not want lack of funds to be a barrier to contributing to the special issue, so if you have a great article idea, please get in touch and we can discuss options to support you.
Please refer to the full Author Guidelines before submission, which contain information on article types and format, as well as details on how to compile the electronic version of your manuscript. Please contact us if you have questions or a potential manuscript that you would like to discuss.
Submission procedure
Please click the button below to submit your manuscript on ScholarOne Manuscripts (opens in a new tab).