Effects of Plant-Microbe Interactions on Crop Stress Resistance
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 4
Special Issue Editors
Interests: plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria; plant–microbe interactions; plant ecophysiology; plant response to abiotic stress; metabolomics; sustainable agriculture
Interests: food biotechnology; microbial methodologies; fermented foods; bioactive compounds; biostimulants; plant growth-promoting bacteria; plant microbiota; food microbiota; quality and sustainability of food systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Agricultural systems worldwide are facing escalating pressures from a changing global climate, including increasingly frequent and severe abiotic stresses (drought, salinity, flooding, heat, and wildfires). Simultaneously, biotic challenges posed by evolving pests and diseases continue to threaten crop yields. In recent years, the interactions between plants and beneficial microbes have garnered considerable scientific interest, highlighting the critical role played by these associations in bolstering plant health and enhancing crop tolerance.
This Special Issue aims to showcase research that elucidates the mechanisms by which plant–microbe interactions contribute to enhanced stress resistance in crops (annual, perennial, and agroforestry systems). Contributions employing advanced methodologies (in situ ecological studies, integrated 'omics' approaches, and sophisticated analytical techniques), to unravel the molecular, physiological, and ecological underpinnings of these beneficial interactions, are encouraged.
Potential areas of focus include the following:
Mechanistic Basis of Abiotic and Biotic Stress Tolerance: Molecular, physiological, and/or biochemical mechanisms by which beneficial microbes (plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), applied as single strains, synthetic communities (SynComs), or microbiomes) confer tolerance to abiotic stresses and modulate defense responses, improving resistance against pathogens and herbivores.
Plant Adaptations to Beneficial Microbial Interactions: Physiological and molecular adaptations induced in host plants by interactions with beneficial microbes that contribute to enhanced stress resistance.
Ecological Dynamics of Plant Microbiota under Stress: Ecological studies that demonstrate shifts in the composition, structure, and functional potential of plant-associated microbiota in plants exhibiting contrasting tolerance responses to stress.
Methodological Advancements in Microbial Applications: Methodologies for the isolation, characterization based on relevant functional traits, and effective application and/or engineering of beneficial microbes.
Translational Research and Field Applications: Successful translation of fundamental laboratory findings to practical and scalable field-level applications, demonstrating enhanced crop stress resistance and yield stability.
We look forward to compiling a Special Issue that significantly advances our understanding of this vital research area.
Dr. Renée Abou Jaoude'
Dr. Maurizio Ruzzi
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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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.
Keywords
- plant–microbe interactions
- crop stress resistance
- abiotic stress resistance
- biotic stress resistance
- synthetic biology
- microbial diversity
- sustainable agriculture
- omics approaches
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