Using Microbial Inoculants to Improve Soil Quality and Enhance Crop Growth
A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Systems and Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 September 2026 | Viewed by 135
Special Issue Editor
Interests: microbial inoculants; biofertilizers; plant growth-promoting bacteria; irrigation; nutrition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Soil microorganisms play a fundamental role in agricultural ecosystems by regulating nutrient cycling, improving soil structure, and promoting plant growth. In recent years, microbial inoculants such as plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), rhizobia, mycorrhizal fungi, and other beneficial microorganisms have gained increasing attention as sustainable alternatives to conventional agrochemical inputs.
Microbial inoculants can enhance plant performance through several mechanisms, including biological nitrogen fixation, nutrient solubilization, phytohormone production, and improved tolerance to environmental stresses. These biological solutions contribute to improved soil quality, greater nutrient-use efficiency, and enhanced crop productivity while reducing the environmental impacts associated with excessive fertilizer use.
Despite significant advances in microbial biotechnology and soil microbiology, further research is needed to better understand the interactions between microbial inoculants, plant physiology, and soil ecosystems under different environmental conditions and cropping systems.
This Special Issue aims to bring together high-quality original research articles and reviews that explore the role of microbial inoculants in improving soil quality and enhancing crop growth. Contributions addressing both fundamental and applied aspects of plant–microbe–soil interactions are particularly welcome.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
- Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in agriculture;
- Rhizobium and biological nitrogen fixation;
- Microbial biofertilizers and biostimulants;
- Microbial consortia and co-inoculation strategies;
- Soil microbiome and plant–soil–microbe interactions;
- Microbial solutions to improve soil fertility and soil health;
- Microbial inoculants to improve crop resilience to abiotic stress;
- Sustainable soil management using beneficial microorganisms;
- Microbial technologies for reducing chemical fertilizer use;
- Field evaluation of microbial inoculants in crop production systems.
Dr. Fernando Ferrari Putti
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- microbial inoculants
- biofertilizers
- plant growth-promoting bacteria
- soil microbiome
- soil quality
- plant–microbe interactions
- biological nitrogen fixation
- sustainable agriculture
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
