Potential of Plant Growth-Promoting and Biocontrol Microorganisms in Controlling Plant Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

To ensure the supply of an appropriate quantity and quality of food for human beings, we need enough land to grow plants or crops. But the cultivation of plants or crops is facing numerous challenges due to plant pathogens, such as oomycetes, fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes. To enhance plant biomass production and reduce economic loss, chemical pesticides are widely used. Over the past decades, due to the overuse of chemical pesticides and their subsequent deleterious environmental consequences, the exploration of natural biological techniques for the management of crop diseases, reduction of the use of chemical plant protection products, and reduction of pollution are emerging fields. Among several biocontrol techniques, microorganisms that are beneficial for plant growth and health are applied as biopesticides, biofertilizer, and bio-stimulants to control plant diseases and improve plant yield. These microbial products are environmentally friendly and have attracted significant attention. Many of these beneficial microorganisms have been widely studied and applied in biocontrol of plant diseases, such as fungal species like Trichoderma sp., yeast, bacterial species belonging to genera Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Burkholderia, Streptomyces, etc. These microorganisms are already prevailing in the soil biota. After the colonization of the rhizosphere, root surface, or within radicular tissues, these microbes can promote plant growth by production of phytohormones, and facilitate the nutrient uptake. Biocontrol agents control plant diseases by producing a wide spectrum of bioactive metabolites, such as ribosomal and nonribosomal peptide antibiotics, siderophores, volatiles, and also induce systemic resistance in plants (ISR). However, further studies are required to elucidate the mechanisms of interaction between beneficial microorganisms, plants as well as the phytopathogens. Novel active substances produced by beneficial microorganisms need to be identified. The antimicrobial mechanism underlying the active substance must also be studied. These findings will help to advance the understanding of beneficial microorganisms and contribute to the future development of highly efficient microbe-derived products to control plant diseases.

This Special Issue of Pathogens welcomes submissions on all aspects related to plant growth-promoting and biocontrol microorganisms in controlling plant diseases. We invite you to submit high-quality research or review articles. We look forward to your contribution.

Dr. Huijun Wu
Prof. Dr. Xuewen Gao
Guest Editors

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