Research Progress of Beneficial Microorganisms in Controlling Crop Pathogens

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Pest and Disease Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 713

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Instituto de Investigación en Micología y Micotoxicología (IMICO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET). Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físico-Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina
Interests: biocontrol; plant growth promotion; mycotoxins; Fusarium

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto de Investigación en Micología y Micotoxicología (IMICO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET). Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físico-Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina
Interests: biocontrol; plant growth promotion; microbial consortia; effect of inoculation on soil microbial communities

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto de Investigación en Micología y Micotoxicología (IMICO), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET). Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físico-Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina
Interests: biocontrol; plant growth promotion; microbial consortia; effect of inoculation on soil microbial communities; mycotoxins

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The sustainability of agriculture and food security are threatened by the rising incidence of crop diseases, which are made worse by global climate change. Biological control has long been acknowledged as a successful method for controlling diseases in crops of agronomic significance. The potential of using beneficial microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and their mixtures, to control pathogens through a variety of mechanisms continues to be explored by ongoing research, which will improve and refine their use for crop protection. Furthermore, the incorporation of molecular tools has reinforced our comprehension of the interactions between microbes and plants, which has made it possible to create biocontrol agents (BCAs) that are more efficient. In addition, research is evaluating formulations and delivery systems to enhance the stability and effectiveness of BCAs in a variety of field settings. In this regard, it is essential to guarantee the ecological suitability and feasible scalability of BCAs. This calls for a thorough assessment of their performance in various agroecosystems as well as the creation of effective, approachable bioformulations to enable broad adoption. The purpose of this Special Issue is to promote knowledge sharing on all facets of crop pathogen biological control, therefore expanding our knowledge of current developments, aiming at the improvement of crop yield and resilience in a range of agricultural conditions.

Dr. Sofia Palacios
Dr. Nicolás Pastor
Dr. Adriana Torres
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • biocontrol
  • climate change
  • sustainability
  • crop protection
  • yield
  • biostimulation
  • crop pathogens

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 1717 KB  
Article
Native Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria Mitigate the Effect of the Phytopathogen Sclerotium rolfsii on Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Plants in a P-Deficient Environment
by Ana Laura Gentile, Maria Soledad Figueredo, Maria Soledad Anzuay, Maria Laura Tonelli, Adriana Fabra, Tania Taurian and Liliana Ludueña
Agronomy 2025, 15(10), 2278; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15102278 - 26 Sep 2025
Viewed by 450
Abstract
Phosphorus (P) deficiency and soil-borne fungal diseases are major constraints to peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) production. Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) can improve P availability in the soil, thereby promoting plant growth. However, their potential to improve plant resistance against pathogens under P-limited conditions [...] Read more.
Phosphorus (P) deficiency and soil-borne fungal diseases are major constraints to peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) production. Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) can improve P availability in the soil, thereby promoting plant growth. However, their potential to improve plant resistance against pathogens under P-limited conditions remains poorly understood. In this study, we first evaluated the ability of two PSB strains, Enterobacter sp. J49 and Serratia sp. S119, to induce systemic resistance (ISR) in peanut plants against the fungal pathogen Sclerotium rolfsii. Results showed that strain S119 reduced disease severity by 40%, whereas strain J49 reduced both incidence (30%) and severity (40%). The protective effect produced by strain J49 was mediated by ISR, as evidenced by the early increase in phenolic compounds accumulation (48 h) and total peroxidase activity (72 h) in inoculated plants. Under P-deficient conditions, the J49 strain was also able to protect peanut plants against S. rolfsii, as demonstrated by a significant reduction in disease severity (55%). These findings highlight the potential of multifunctional bacterium Enterobacter sp. J49 to enhance sustainable peanut production by simultaneously improving P acquisition and strengthening plant defense mechanisms. Full article
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