Special Issue "Soil Ecology and Microbe-Plant Interactions in Agricultural Systems"

Dear Colleagues,

Research has demonstrated the potential for the soil ecosystem to influence plant–microbe interactions. Soil microorganisms may exert key influences on plant growth and development via mechanism-related differentiation in resource use and plant–microbe feedback dynamics. Resource use is related to microbial processes associated with chemical speciation and availability of substrate and nutrients, and microbial-mediated enzymes that enable plants to acquire these resources. For example, the microbial community structure can regulate N dynamics. Feedback processes are associated with changes in the soil community structure interrelated to responses in plant–microbe interactions. Bacteria conditioned with root exudates have been shown to utilize C substrate more efficiently than those without access to rhizodeposits. In disease-suppressive soils, the suppressive capability is attributed to diverse microbial communities acting against soil-borne pathogens in manifold ways. Similarly, the ability of introduced Rhizobium to form effective nodules is rarely linked to a single soil attribute. Related to these considerations is the influence of crop production and soil management practices. Microbial community structure is Influenced by tillage and residue management, cover crops, and crop rotation, to name a few.

A microbial-ecology-based perspective with respect to concepts such as soil health is needed in order to adequately assess its relevance to for crop performance. In addition to defining and evaluating the most significant aspects of the relationship between soil microbial ecology and plant–microbe interaction, this Topic is open to studies that assess the influence of the management of crop production systems on these relationships and their relevance to improved economic performance.

Prof. Dr. William L. Kingery
Dr. Shankar Ganapathi Shanmugam
Guest Editors

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• soil microbial ecology
• plant–microbe interactions
• crop production practices