Plant Microbiome Manipulation: Advances and Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Plant microbiome manipulation has been practiced in agriculture for centuries, even before the existence of the term "microbiome." These practices work by creating an environment that selectively enriches beneficial microbes, while reducing pathogens in the soil and in or on the plant. Classical examples include crop rotation, the application of organic amendments, and different types of soil tillage. With the advent of modern science, synthetic biology and "omics" technologies, are being developed and applied in order to achieve precise, targeted changes in the plant microbiome that extend far beyond those realized using traditional low-tech methods. Examples of these modern techniques include microbiome transplantation from a disease-suppressive soil to a susceptible plant root, rhizosphere engineering by genetically altering the plant to change the chemical composition of its root exudates, genetic modification of plant-associated microbes in order to enhance their function or persistence, and rational design of multi-strain microbial consortia (syncom) based on 'omics' data to mimic the stability and multi-functionality of a healthy native microbiome. The potential to improve plant growth, mitigate disease, and enhance stress tolerance through a deep understanding and manipulation of plant–microbe interactions has never been greater.

This Special Issue seeks to capture the latest advancements in exploring and engineering the complex plant microbiome—whether in the ectosphere or endosphere. We welcome original research and high-quality review articles that utilize state-of-the-art techniques to directly manipulate the plant microbiome or to monitor the effects of classical methods. These techniques may include next-generation sequencing, omics approaches (eg. metabolomics, transcriptomics, etc), and synthetic biology (eg. CRISPR, genetic modification), to shed light on the intriguing roles and potential applications of plant-associated microorganisms to improve crop health and productivity. Join us in advancing the field; submit your manuscript to this exciting Special Issue today.

Dr. David Johnston-Monje
Dr. Edgardo Sepulveda
Prof. Dr. James White
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. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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.

• plant microbiome manipulation
• microbiome engineering
• plant–microbe interactions
• sustainable agriculture
• crop health and productivity
• rhizosphere
• phyllosphere
• endosphere