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Biology
Special Issues
The Application of Microorganisms and Plants in Soil Improvement
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The Application of Microorganisms and Plants in Soil Improvement

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 184

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zedong Teng

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Guest Editor
School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Univeristy of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: environmental biotechnology; microbial ecology; rhizosphere microbial interactions
Dr. Xiaoliang Jiang

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Guest Editor
Institute of Resources and Ecological Environment, Ganjiang Innovation Academy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ganzhou 341119, China
Interests: environmental microorganisms; soil nutrient cycling; phytoremediation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil degradation has become a serious global environmental problem, directly endangering the foundation and environment of human survival. Therefore, it is imperative to develop and deploy innovative and specific improvement strategies to efficiently restore the ecological functions of soil. Here, microorganisms and plants play a significant role in soil improvement and ecological function restoration, and are thus significant topics worthy of attention.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute new insights to this Special Issue of Biology, a journal published by MDPI, entitled “The Application of Microorganisms and Plants in Soil Improvement”. This Special Issue aims to provide an open sharing platform for innovative achievements in fields such as biotechnology, microbial remediation, plant–microbe interactions, and soil ecological restoration.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

(1) New improvement methods, especially biological methods.

(2) Measures for restoring soil ecological functions.

(3) Plant–soil–microbe interactions.

(4) Dynamics and diversity of microbial communities.

(5) The promoting effect of microbial metabolism on plant growth.

(6) The impact of improvement measures on soil health and crop yield.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Zedong Teng
Dr. Xiaoliang Jiang
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. Biology 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 2700 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

  • environmental microbiology
  • microbial diversity
  • microbial metabolism
  • nutrient transformation
  • plant growth promotion
  • rhizosphere effect
  • soil improvement

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 2130 KiB  
Article
Application of Biochar on Soil Improvement and Speciation Transformation of Heavy Metal in Constructed Wetland
by Yuan Zhou, Xiaoqin Nie, Yao Zhao, Liqiu Zhang, Yatian Cheng, Cancan Jiang, Wenbin Zhao, Xiangchun Wang and Chao Yang
Biology 2025, 14(5), 515; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14050515 - 7 May 2025
Viewed by 13
Abstract
The pyrolysis of sewage sludge into biochar, enhanced by incorporating agriculture waste rich in inorganic minerals and lignocellulosic compounds, provides an effective approach for achieving sludge-harmless treatment and resourceful utilization. In this study, sewage sludge and maize straw-based biochar (SMB) was prepared using [...] Read more.
The pyrolysis of sewage sludge into biochar, enhanced by incorporating agriculture waste rich in inorganic minerals and lignocellulosic compounds, provides an effective approach for achieving sludge-harmless treatment and resourceful utilization. In this study, sewage sludge and maize straw-based biochar (SMB) was prepared using the co-pyrolysis method, and the effects of different application ratios (0%, 1%, 3%, and 5%, w/w) of SMB on soil properties, ryegrass growth, microbial community structure, and Pb content and speciation in the contaminated soil of constructed wetlands were investigated. The results showed that SMB had a high carbon content (28.58%) and was rich in functional groups (e.g., -C-O, -C-N). The results indicated that increasing SMB dosage (0–5% w/w) in Pb-contaminated soil elevated soil pH from 6.40 to 7.93, cation-exchange capacity (CEC) from 30.59 to 79.03 cmol/kg (+158%), and organic carbon content by 65% (from 176.79 mg/kg to 107.3 mg/kg), while reducing available phosphorus and potassium by 20% and 30%, respectively, resulting in a 6% decline in ryegrass leaf length. SMB application enriched Pb-resistant bacteria (e.g., Sphingomonas abundance increased from 10.3% to 11.2%) and enhanced Pb immobilization. After 55 days, the total soil Pb increased by 33%, and the residual fraction Pb significantly increased by 7.3% to 21.7%, driven by functional group complexation, ion exchange, pH, and CEC improvements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Application of Microorganisms and Plants in Soil Improvement)
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