Effects of Plant–Microbe Interactions on Crop Stress Resistance

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

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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.