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Microorganisms
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Feature Paper in Plant–Microbe Interactions in Asia
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Feature Paper in Plant–Microbe Interactions in Asia

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 2182

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Congyan Wang

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, No. 301, Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Interests: invasive alien plants; invasion biology; invasion ecology; co-invasion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The interactions between plants and microbes play a significant role in maintaining the stability and health of ecosystems. Microbes facilitate the absorption of nutrients and bolster the resilience of plants, while plants offer microbes a conducive environment for growth and the nutrients they require. These interactions serve to promote ecosystem balance and facilitate the growth and reproduction of plants, while maintaining the diversity of microbial communities.

It is, therefore, of great importance to analyze and elucidate the key mechanisms underlying the interactions between plants and microbes, and this is the aim of this Special Issue.

  • The effects and the key mechanisms of plants on microbial metabolic activity.
  • The effects and the key mechanisms of plants on the structure and composition of microbial communities.
  • The effects and the key mechanisms of microbes on the growth performance of plants.
  • The effects and the key mechanisms of microbes on the community structure of plants.
  • The role of environmental factors (e.g., soil nutrient levels, etc.) in the interactions between plants and microbes.
  • The effects of global change (e.g., temperature changes, precipitation changes, biological invasion, and elevation of carbon dioxide, etc.) on the interactions between plants and microbes.
  • The role of the interactions between plants and microbes in the community structure, especially biodiversity, community stability and stress resistance, etc.

Prof. Dr. Congyan Wang
Guest Editor

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

  • plant
  • microbe
  • interactions
  • community structure
  • growth performance
  • metabolic activity

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 4543 KiB  
Article
Integrating Cover Crops and Manure to Boost Goji Berry Yield: Responses of Soil Physicochemical Properties and Microbial Communities
by Haonan Chen, Fang Wang, Yamiao Gao, Yaran Ma, Lizhen Zhu and Xiongxiong Nan
Microorganisms 2025, 13(3), 696; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030696 - 20 Mar 2025
Viewed by 311
Abstract
A sustainable Goji berry (Lycium barbarum L.) planting system that integrates forage radish cover crops (Raphanus sativus L.) and animal manure has been established in northwestern China. This study investigated the effects of different cropping systems and manure application levels on [...] Read more.
A sustainable Goji berry (Lycium barbarum L.) planting system that integrates forage radish cover crops (Raphanus sativus L.) and animal manure has been established in northwestern China. This study investigated the effects of different cropping systems and manure application levels on soil physicochemical properties, microbial community structure, and L. barbarum yield under field conditions. A split-plot design was used, with the main-plot treatments consisting of two cropping systems and the sub-plot treatments involving three manure application levels. The results showed that compared to L. barbarum monocropping, cover cropping with R. sativus led to a decrease in soil bulk density (1.90%) and increase in soil electrical conductivity (11.5%), nutrient contents (total N and available N, P, and K: 30.3–138%), and microbial biomass (C: 79.0%; N: 184%). Cover cropping additionally enhanced the community diversity and richness of soil bacteria. Beta-diversity analysis revealed significant differences in bacterial rather than fungal community composition among various treatments. The bacterial network showed a lower ratio of positive to negative correlations and reduced complexity in response to cover cropping, which contrasted with fungal network patterns. Integration of cover cropping and medium manure application increased fruit yield by 8.71%. Cover crops and manure influenced soil microbial diversity mainly through their positive effects on soil total and available N contents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Paper in Plant–Microbe Interactions in Asia)
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22 pages, 3080 KiB  
Article
Influence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Nitrogen Dynamics During Cinnamomum camphora Litter Decomposition
by Yuehong Gao, Xiaoyu Long, Yiqi Liao, Yonghui Lin, Zaihua He, Qin Kong, Xiangshi Kong and Xingbing He
Microorganisms 2025, 13(1), 151; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13010151 - 13 Jan 2025
Viewed by 736
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can preferentially absorb the released ammonium (NH4+) over nitrate (NO3−) during litter decomposition. However, the impact of AMF’s absorption of NH4+ on litter nitrogen (N) decomposition is still unclear. In this [...] Read more.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can preferentially absorb the released ammonium (NH4+) over nitrate (NO3−) during litter decomposition. However, the impact of AMF’s absorption of NH4+ on litter nitrogen (N) decomposition is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of AMF uptake for NH4+ on litter N metabolic characteristics by enriching NH4+ via AMF suppression and nitrification inhibition in a subtropical Cinnamomum camphora forest. The results showed that AMF suppression and nitrification inhibition significantly decelerated litter decomposition in the early stage due to the repression of NH4+ in extracellular enzyme activity. In the late stage, when soil NH4+ content was low, in contrast, they promoted litter decomposition by increasing the extracellular enzyme activities. Nitrification inhibition mainly promoted the utilization of plant-derived N by promoting the degradation of the amide I, amide II, and III bands by increasing protease activity, and it promoted ammonification by increasing urease activities, whereas it reduced the utilization of microbial-derived N by decreasing chitinase activity. On the contrary, AMF suppression, which significantly reduced the ammonification rate and increased the nitrification rate, only facilitated the degradation of the amide II band. Moreover, it intensified the microbial-derived N decomposition by increasing chitinase activity. The degradation of the amide I and II bands still relied on the priming effects of AMF on soil saprotrophs. This was likely driven by AMF-mediated phosphorus (P) mineralization. Nutrient acquiring, especially P by phosphatase, were the main factors in predicting litter decomposition and protein degradation. Thus, AMF could relieve the end-product repression of locally enriched NH4+ in extracellular enzyme activity and promote early-stage litter decomposition. However, the promotive effects of AMF on litter protein degradation and NH4+ release rely on P mineralization. Our results demonstrated that AMF could alleviate the N limitation for net primary production via accelerating litter N decomposition and reducing N loss. Moreover, they could restrict the decomposition of recalcitrant components by competing with saprotrophs for nutrients. Both pathways will contribute to C sequestration in forest ecosystems, which advances our understanding of AMF’s contribution to nutrient cycling and ecosystem processes in subtropical forests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Paper in Plant–Microbe Interactions in Asia)
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28 pages, 6951 KiB  
Article
Effects of the Application of Pseudomonas cedrina DY1-3 on the Growth of Maize Plants and the Structure of Soil Bacterial Community
by Zhenzhen Liu, Yanlei Shi, Ye Yuan, Yonghong Fan, Peng Chen, Yingying Feng, Mengkedala Ningjing, Haocheng Li, Daiping Li and Lewei Wu
Microorganisms 2024, 12(12), 2556; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12122556 - 11 Dec 2024
Viewed by 770
Abstract
Against the background of increasing salinisation of land, the use of environmentally friendly plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) resources for soil improvement is particularly important. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Pseudomonas cedrina DY1-3 on maize seedling growth, soil [...] Read more.
Against the background of increasing salinisation of land, the use of environmentally friendly plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) resources for soil improvement is particularly important. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Pseudomonas cedrina DY1-3 on maize seedling growth, soil physico-chemical properties, and bacterial community structure. The study also evaluates the effects of this microbial agent on plant growth and saline soil improvement, providing theoretical references for microbial agents in promoting plant growth and improving saline soils. We found that there were significant differences between arable and saline soils in terms of soil physico-chemical properties and bacterial community structural composition, and that total salt was the main environmental factor influencing microbial communities. In both arable and saline soils, the application of DY1-3 bacterial suspension had a significant positive effect on the growth of maize plants and bacterial community richness. In arable soil, it could promote the growth of maize seedlings and significantly increase the Shannon and Simpson index, and AK was a key factor influencing the bacterial community. In saline soil, it could alleviate the mitigation stress and promote the growth of maize seedlings and cause a significant increase in Shannon’s and Chao1 index, and the application of DY1-3 and potting could cause a significant decrease in total salt. In addition, DY1-3 and maize plants acting together in the soil can better improve the saline soil. The above results indicate that DY1-3 has potential for saline soil improvement and crop yield enhancement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Paper in Plant–Microbe Interactions in Asia)
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