Plant–Soil Interactions Under Global Change

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 564

Special Issue Editor

Institute of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
Interests: plant–soil interaction; soil microbes; soil health; mycorrhizal functionality

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Good plant–soil interactions are important in supporting food security and ecosystem stability, but due to global change and intensified human activities, plant–soil interactions are increasingly being challenged and threatened. It is vital that we elucidate the influencing factors in plant–soil interactions and adaptation mechanisms to environmental change, to enable the sustainable development of agroecosystems and natural ecosystems in the context of global change.

With the development of molecular biology techniques, it is particularly important to reveal the regulatory mechanisms behind plant–soil interactions in agroecosystems and natural ecosystems to adapt to global change.

This Special Issue will focus on the mechanisms behind plant–soil interactions and their adaptations to global change, including, but not limited to, plant–soil interactions and soil health, plant–soil interactions and ecosystem stability, and plant–soil interactions and biodiversity.

Dr. Tao Zhang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • plant–soil interactions
  • biodiversity
  • ecosystem
  • agroecosystem
  • natural ecosystem
  • sustainable development

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 1751 KiB  
Article
Enhancement of Tomato Growth Through Rhizobacteria and Biocontrol of Associated Diseases
by Hasna El hjouji, Redouan Qessaoui, Salahddine Chafiki, El Hassan Mayad, Hafsa Houmairi, Khadija Dari, Bouchaib Bencharki and Hinde Aassila
Life 2025, 15(7), 997; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15070997 - 23 Jun 2025
Viewed by 458
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the growth-promoting effects of four rhizobacterial isolates (RS60, RS65, RS46, and RP6) isolated from the tomato rhizosphere. These isolates were screened for key plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) mechanisms, including ammonia production, nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the growth-promoting effects of four rhizobacterial isolates (RS60, RS65, RS46, and RP6) isolated from the tomato rhizosphere. These isolates were screened for key plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) mechanisms, including ammonia production, nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, and siderophore synthesis. Their potential to enhance seed germination and tomato plant growth was investigated in controlled and greenhouse conditions. Four isolates exhibited multiple PGPR attributes, notably IAA and ammonia production as well as phosphate solubilization. The results revealed that these strains significantly enhanced tomato seed germination and shoot growth in vitro, with RS65 showing the highest germination rate (70%). However, no significant differences in early seedling responses were observed under greenhouse conditions when compared to the control. Thirty days after inoculation, greenhouse results revealed that the four studied strains significantly increased growth metrics including shoot length, number of leaves, collar diameter, and dry weight. The isolate RP6 showed a significant effect on the growth of the plant, with an average shoot length of 34.40 cm and nine leaves per plant. In vitro antagonism assays demonstrated that isolates RS60, RS65, and RP6 effectively inhibited the growth of Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria alternata, and Oidium lycopersici, with inhibition rates exceeding 65%. These antagonistic activities were linked to the production of hydrolytic enzymes (chitinase, cellulase, pectinase, protease), siderophores, and hydrogen cyanide (HCN). Molecular identification through 16S rRNA gene sequencing confirmed the isolates as Bacillus cereus (RS60), Bacillus pumilus (RS46), Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (RP6), and Bacillus velezensis (RS65), each showing over 97% sequence similarity with reference strains. These findings underscore the potential of the selected Bacillus spp. as promising biofertilizers and biocontrol agents for sustainable tomato cultivation and support their inclusion in integrated disease and nutrient management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant–Soil Interactions Under Global Change)
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