Microorganisms to Benefit Crops

Dear Colleagues,

The importance of microorganisms in the environment and their role in plant growth has been the subject of countless research works. However, the changes that are now occurring quite rapidly in the environment mean that micro-organisms are gaining macro-significance. In agriculture, the goal is to increase the share of biological means and reduce the usage of chemicals. These efforts are supported by the strategies “European Green Deal” and “From Field to Table”, which aim to introduce a system of sustainable production and lifestyle. The main ways to increase the contribution of microorganisms to the protection of plants against adverse biotic and abiotic impacts are: the introduction of beneficial microorganisms or the modification of the environment to encourage the activity of native beneficial microorganisms. However, it is still a challenge to obtain satisfactory results.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to provide an overview of the recent achievements related to the use of microorganisms in plant cultivation as well as the future prospects, taking into account the current trends and changes. The key topics to be addressed are the fate of microbial inoculants after application; how these inoculants will perform in conditions of changing climate; practices supporting microbial persistence and activity in the field; the advantages and risks connected to the application of microorganisms, etc. There is also a need to share information on advanced indicators of the "micro-environment" improvement and on effective strategies for selecting microorganisms to ensure their consistent performance in commercial conditions. In this Special Issue, we invite researchers to publish their latest research papers and review articles in such areas.

Dr. Magdalena M. Szczech
Guest Editor

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