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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Harnessing Beneficial Microbiota in Sustainable Agriculture
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Harnessing Beneficial Microbiota in Sustainable Agriculture

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Microbe Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 772

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mohamed Idbella

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici, Italy
Interests: plant–soil microbial interactions; microbial ecology; plant ecology; mycorrhiza
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Giuliano Bonanomi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici, Italy
Interests: plant pathology; soilborne pathogens; botany; ecology; microbiology; soil organic matter dynamics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the face of a rapidly changing climate and the need for sustainable agriculture, harnessing beneficial microbiota has emerged as a promising approach for plant disease management. This strategy leverages the power of naturally occurring microorganisms to protect plants from diseases, reducing the reliance on chemical pesticides. Beneficial microbiota, including bacteria and fungi, inhabit the rhizosphere and phyllosphere of plants, forming intricate relationships that can enhance the plant's resilience against harmful microbes. They function by competing with pathogens for resources, secreting antimicrobial compounds, and activating the plant's own defense mechanisms. As climate change leads to more unpredictable and severe weather patterns, the ability of plants to fend off diseases becomes increasingly important. Recent research has uncovered exciting possibilities for harnessing microbiota, including the development of biopesticides and probiotics for plants. These solutions not only provide effective disease management but also have the potential to improve crop yields and overall agricultural sustainability. However, challenges such as the complexity of microbial communities and their interactions with plants must be addressed. In a changing climate, the smart utilization of beneficial microbiota offers a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to plant disease management, contributing to global food security while reducing the environmental impact of agriculture.

Reviews, original research, and communications are all welcome to contribute to this Special Issue.

Dr. Mohamed Idbella
Prof. Dr. Giuliano Bonanomi
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. Microorganisms 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

  • disease suppression
  • soilborne pathogens
  • beneficial microbiota
  • next-generation sequencing
  • climate change
  • soil health
  • sustainable agriculture

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 2058 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Application of Biochar Mitigates Negative Plant–Soil Feedback by Shaping Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Fungal Pathogens
by Mohamed Idbella, Silvia Baronti, Francesco Primo Vaccari, Ahmed M. Abd-ElGawad and Giuliano Bonanomi
Microorganisms 2024, 12(4), 810; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12040810 - 17 Apr 2024
Viewed by 528
Abstract
Negative plant–soil feedback (PSF) arises when localized accumulations of pathogens reduce the growth of conspecifics, whereas positive PSF can occur due to the emergence of mutualists. Biochar, a carbon-rich material produced by the pyrolysis of organic matter, has been shown to modulate soil [...] Read more.
Negative plant–soil feedback (PSF) arises when localized accumulations of pathogens reduce the growth of conspecifics, whereas positive PSF can occur due to the emergence of mutualists. Biochar, a carbon-rich material produced by the pyrolysis of organic matter, has been shown to modulate soil microbial communities by altering their abundance, diversity, and activity. For this reason, to assess the long-term impact of biochar on soil microbiome dynamics and subsequent plant performance, we conducted a PSF greenhouse experiment using field soil conditioned over 10 years with Vitis vinifera (L.), without (e.g., C) or with biochar at two rates (e.g., B and BB). Subsequently, the conditioned soil was employed in a response phase involving either the same plant species or different species, i.e., Medicago sativa (L.), Lolium perenne (L.), and Solanum lycopersicum (L.). We utilized next-generation sequencing to assess the abundance and diversity of fungal pathogens and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) within each conditioned soil. Our findings demonstrate that biochar application exerted a stimulatory effect on the growth of both conspecifics and heterospecifics. In addition, our results show that untreated soils had a higher abundance of grape-specialized fungal pathogens, mainly Ilyonectria liriodendra, with a relative abundance of 20.6% compared to 2.1% and 5.1% in B and BB, respectively. Cryptovalsa ampelina also demonstrated higher prevalence in untreated soils, accounting for 4.3% compared to 0.4% in B and 0.1% in BB. Additionally, Phaeoacremonium iranianum was exclusively present in untreated soils, comprising 12.2% of the pathogens’ population. Conversely, the application of biochar reduced generalist fungal pathogens. For instance, Plenodomus biglobosus decreased from 10.5% in C to 7.1% in B and 2.3% in BB, while Ilyonectria mors-panacis declined from 5.8% in C to 0.5% in B and 0.2% in BB. Furthermore, biochar application was found to enrich the AMF community. Notably, certain species like Funneliformis geosporum exhibited increased relative abundance in biochar-treated soils, reaching 46.8% in B and 70.3% in BB, compared to 40.5% in untreated soils. Concurrently, other AMF species, namely Rhizophagus irregularis, Rhizophagus diaphanus, and Claroideoglomus drummondii, were exclusively observed in soils where biochar was applied. We propose that the alleviation of negative PSF can be attributed to the positive influence of AMF in the absence of strong inhibition by pathogens. In conclusion, our study underscores the potential of biochar application as a strategic agricultural practice for promoting sustainable soil management over the long term. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Harnessing Beneficial Microbiota in Sustainable Agriculture)
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