The Role of Fertilizers and Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria in Improving Crop Productivity

Dear Colleagues,

By 2050, crop production must increase by over 70% to meet future demands. This significant challenge requires integrated efforts to preserve natural resources, support intensive agriculture, and minimize environmental impacts. Achieving higher yields of grains, fiber, energy, and biomass will necessitate greater resource efficiency; otherwise, the world may face severe product shortages in the upcoming decades. However, the increased demand for food security may drive excessive agricultural input use, degrading soil and water quality globally, and exacerbating climate change.

Among various strategies for enhancing agricultural productivity, the rational use of plant nutrients, combined with biotechnologies such as inoculation with plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), is considered one of the most effective approaches for maintaining soil, crop, and environmental health. Over recent decades, numerous techniques have been developed to reduce fertilizer dependence, aiming to lower costs and mitigate the environmental risks associated with heavy chemical fertilization and extreme climatic conditions. Integrating nutrient management strategies and advanced technologies can significantly improve nutrient-use efficiency across diverse environmental settings.

PGPB inoculation plays a crucial role in mitigating environmental stress caused by climate extremes and excessive fertilizer application. This technique is increasingly recognized as a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative for crop management, enhancing plant nutrition while reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers. A truly sustainable approach to nutrient use in agriculture, supported by PGPBs, requires a comprehensive reassessment of nutrient dynamics in soil, crop uptake, feeding systems, and nutrient runoff potential.

This Special Issue welcomes original research, perspectives, hypotheses, opinions, reviews, modeling approaches, and methodological studies focusing on plant nutrient–crop interactions, with an emphasis on PGPB applications in fertilization. Contributions exploring PGPBs in relation to beneficial elements (e.g., Se, Si, and Co), heavy metals (e.g., Pb, Cr, Cd, As, and Hg), and harsh environmental conditions are also encouraged.

Dr. Fernando Shintate Galindo
Dr. Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho
Dr. Paulo Pagliari
Guest Editors

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