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Agronomy
Special Issues
Utilization of Microorganisms for Sustainable Agricultural Development
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Utilization of Microorganisms for Sustainable Agricultural Development

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Farming Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 1714

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Huawen Han

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centre for Grassland Microbiome, State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agricultural Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Interests: exploitation and utilization of microbial resources; engineering synthetic microbial consortia
Prof. Dr. Tuo Yao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Grass Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, College of Grassland Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Interests: exploitation and utilization of microbial resources; microbial inoculants

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, "Utilization of Microorganisms for Sustainable Agricultural Development”, delves into the critical role of microorganisms in driving sustainable agricultural practices, showcasing groundbreaking research and innovative applications harnessing the power of diverse microbial communities to enhance soil fertility, promote plant health, and optimize agricultural productivity while minimizing environmental impact.

Microbes, including bacteria, fungi, and algae, are central to the sustainability of agriculture, serving as biofertilizers and biocontrol agents that offer eco-friendly alternatives to chemical inputs. The issue underscores the importance of microbial diversity in maintaining soil health and ecosystem balance, emphasizing the intricate relationships between microorganisms and plants in agricultural systems. Furthermore, this Special Issue explores novel strategies for utilizing microorganisms in bioremediation and waste management, showcasing their potential to remediate polluted environments, degrade contaminants, and promote sustainable waste recycling practices within the agricultural sector. By highlighting the multifaceted contributions of microorganisms to sustainable agriculture, this issue advocates for a holistic and environmentally conscious approach to agricultural development, paving the way for a more resilient and resource-efficient agricultural future.

Dr. Huawen Han
Prof. Dr. Tuo Yao
Guest Editors

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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

  • microorganism
  • sustainable agriculture
  • soil health
  • environmental impact

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 6051 KB  
Article
Trichoderma harzianum DQ002 Enhances Oriental Melon Resistance Against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melonis by Regulating Soil Microbial Communities in the Rhizosphere
by Yihan Xie, Chunxia Li, Yuting Zhang, Xiaoqian Yue, Yuanyi Zhong, Ting Yang, Yazhong Jin and Xueqing Geng
Agronomy 2025, 15(8), 1931; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15081931 - 10 Aug 2025
Viewed by 535
Abstract
Continuous planting results in a higher occurrence rate of oriental melon Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis (FOM), and treatment with Trichoderma can considerably alleviate the incidence of disease. However, the tripartite interaction mechanisms among T. harzianum–melon–rhizosphere [...] Read more.
Continuous planting results in a higher occurrence rate of oriental melon Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis (FOM), and treatment with Trichoderma can considerably alleviate the incidence of disease. However, the tripartite interaction mechanisms among T. harzianum–melon–rhizosphere microorganisms remain poorly understood in current research. Pot experiments elucidate the growth-promoting, antagonistic, and rhizosphere-regulating effects of T. harzianum on oriental melon. The experiment consisted of two treatments: (1) water control (CK), and (2) T. harzianum inoculation (MM) with three repetitions per treatment. Illumina high-throughput sequencing was employed to analyze the microbial community and associated metabolic pathways. Additionally, a comprehensive correlation analysis clarified how T. harzianum-modulated physiological factors regulate soil microbial communities to enhance melon resistance to FOM. T. harzianum inoculation significantly promoted plant growth, decreased the incidence rate of Fusarium wilt by 41.85%, and increased rhizosphere nitrate-N, pH, EC, and soil enzyme activity (e.g., sucrose and alkaline phosphatase). Notably, T. harzianum inoculation altered the rhizosphere microbial community’s relative abundance and structure, with the most striking changes in the fungal community. Principal coordinate analysis showed this fungal restructuring accounted for 44.9% of total community variation (37% from PCo1, 7.9% from PCo2). Soil-borne pathogens (e.g., Fusarium, Verticillium, Phytophthora) decreased in relative abundance with the inoculation of T. harzianum. Meanwhile, the microbial community shifted from a “fungal-dominated” to “bacterial-dominated” state: fungal proportion decreased by 9.47% (from 23.95% in CK to 14.48% in MM), while bacterial proportion increased by 9.47% (from 76.05% in CK to 85.52% in MM). Microbial abundance shifts primarily impacted amino acid and cofactor biosynthesis metabolic pathways. The application of T. harzianum modified the soil environment, restructuring microbial communities through these changes, which in turn regulated microbial metabolic pathways, creating a soil environment conducive to melon growth and thereby enhancing oriental melon resistance to FOM, while mitigating the obstacles of continuous cropping. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Microorganisms for Sustainable Agricultural Development)
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20 pages, 4774 KB  
Article
Study on Pathogen Identification and Biocontrol Fungi Screening of Oat Sheath Rot
by Yichao Shi, Guiqin Zhao, Liang Zeng and Jikuan Chai
Agronomy 2025, 15(8), 1776; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15081776 - 24 Jul 2025
Viewed by 442
Abstract
Oat sheath rot disease significantly reduces commercial oat yields, yet research on its incidence, causative pathogens, and control strategies remains limited, particularly in China. This study investigated the occurrence of oat sheath rot in major oat-producing regions of Northern China. Here, we isolated [...] Read more.
Oat sheath rot disease significantly reduces commercial oat yields, yet research on its incidence, causative pathogens, and control strategies remains limited, particularly in China. This study investigated the occurrence of oat sheath rot in major oat-producing regions of Northern China. Here, we isolated and identified two species of primary pathogenic fungi, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis and Alternaria alternata. Next, we conducted pathogenicity tests to confirm their role in the progression of oat sheath rot disease. Subsequently, we screened putative biocontrol fungi and identified Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma koningii as effective antagonistic biocontrol fungi. Both species demonstrated strong inhibitory effects against two primary pathogens through competitive interactions, with T. koningii achieving 100% inhibition in one test. Overall, T. harzianum and T. koningii both exerted strong inhibitory effects against pathogenic fungi via different forms of competition. Most importantly, infection experiments showed that T. harzianum and T. koningii both exerted strong antifungal effects against the pathogenic fungi that cause oat sheath rot. Taken together, our findings provide a foundation for developing biological control strategies to mitigate oat sheath rot in oat cultivation in China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Microorganisms for Sustainable Agricultural Development)
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20 pages, 5984 KB  
Article
Potassium Fulvate Alleviates Salinity and Boosts Oat Productivity by Modifying Soil Properties and Rhizosphere Microbial Communities in the Saline–Alkali Soils of the Qaidam Basin
by Jie Wang, Xin Jin, Xinyue Liu, Yunjie Fu, Kui Bao, Zhixiu Quan, Chengti Xu, Wei Wang, Guangxin Lu and Haijuan Zhang
Agronomy 2025, 15(7), 1673; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15071673 - 10 Jul 2025
Viewed by 545
Abstract
Soil salinization severely limits global agricultural sustainability, particularly across the saline–alkaline landscapes of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. We examined how potassium fulvate (PF) modulates oat (Avena sativa L.) performance, soil chemistry, and rhizospheric microbiota in the saline–alkaline soils of the Qaidam Basin. PF [...] Read more.
Soil salinization severely limits global agricultural sustainability, particularly across the saline–alkaline landscapes of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. We examined how potassium fulvate (PF) modulates oat (Avena sativa L.) performance, soil chemistry, and rhizospheric microbiota in the saline–alkaline soils of the Qaidam Basin. PF markedly boosted shoot and root biomass, with the greatest response observed at 150 kg hm−2. At the same time, it enhanced soil fertility by increasing organic matter, nitrate-N, ammonium-N, and available potassium, and improved ionic balance by lowering Na+ concentrations and the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), while increasing Ca2+ levels and soil moisture content. Under the high-dose treatment (F2), endogenous fungal contributions declined sharply, exogenous replacements increased, and fungal α-diversity fell; multivariate ordinations confirmed that PF reshaped both bacterial and fungal communities, with fungi exhibiting the stronger response. We integrated three machine learning algorithms—least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), Random Forest (RF), and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost)—to minimize the bias inherent in any single method. We identified microbial β-diversity, organic matter, and Na+ and Ca2+ concentrations as the most robust predictors of the Soil Salinization and Alkalization Index (SSAI). Structural equation modeling further showed that PF mitigates salinity chiefly by improving soil physicochemical properties (path coefficient = −0.77; p < 0.001), with microbial assemblages acting as key intermediaries. These findings provide compelling theoretical and empirical support for deploying PF to rehabilitate saline–alkaline soils in alpine environments and offer practical guidance for sustainable land management in the Qaidam Basin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization of Microorganisms for Sustainable Agricultural Development)
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