Dear Colleagues,

Current studies about global food and agriculture have demonstrated that world production may need to be increased by 60–110% before 2050 to avoid food shortages. Along with the demand for increased production, there is also a requirement to protect the environment, mainly by reducing the number of pesticides, and making better use of agricultural inputs and resources. The interaction of plants with different microorganisms has been raised as one of the most promising methods to improve plant protection against different stresses.

Plants are holobionts highly influenced by their microbial component: the plant microbiome. This comprises the microorganisms in the rhizosphere, phyllosphere, and endosphere. Whereas some of these microorganisms live in the epiphytic or endophytic stage without any discernible effect on the plant, it has been observed that some of them have important roles in plant growth and health by promoting growth, producing secondary metabolites, and increasing resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Thus, the study of the plant–microbe interactions and the mechanisms involved in this association could improve the understanding of their potential use in crops.

Due to increasing interest in the potential of beneficial plant–microbe interaction, as well as the current challenges in crop production, it is essential to introduce innovations in beneficial microbes into crop management. Therefore, this Special Issue will publish articles that reflect the novel contributions in the field of plant–microbe interactions concerning protection against biotic and abiotic stress, and studies on the mode of action either on the pathogen itself or on the plant, or both, through the study of plant–pathogen interaction and the applicability in the field.

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.

• plant–microbe interaction
• endophytes
• mycorrhiza
• PGPB biocontrol
• plant protection
• induced resistance