Beneficial Microorganisms in Sustainable Agriculture
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 33716
Special Issue Editors
Interests: microbial ecology of plant-growth-promoting microorganisms and biological control agents in agro-systems; genetic and functional diversity of microbial communities associated with soil, rhizosphere, and crops; crop–microorganisms interactions at physiological, metabolic, and molecular levels; agricultural soil conservation using isotopic techniques
Interests: genetic and functional diversity of soil microbial communities; crops x microorganisms interactions at metabolic and molecular levels
Interests: plants-microorganisms-soil interactions; agricultural plant science; molecular biology; plant pathology; biological control
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Crop production needs to increase in order to meet the demands of the current and future population. Thus, intensive production systems have been implemented through the use of chemical fertilizers and phytosanitary control. These agricultural practices have negative consequences such as environmental contamination; loss of microbiome diversity; the proliferation of new phytopathogens, pests, and weeds; lower agro-ecosystem fertility; and risk to human health; among others. Therefore, it is our job to design innovative agricultural alternatives to increase the crop yield in order to achieve food security sustainably.
A promising strategy for this global challenge is the use of microorganisms that exert beneficial effects on plants, either by helping their growth and/or protecting them from biotic and/or abiotic stresses; these are termed plant-growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs). This group of microorganisms plays a crucial role in plants’ development, yield, and quality, forming close relationships that trigger a wide range of positive physiological, metabolic, and molecular responses. Thus, PGPMs can be studied for the bioprospection and bioformulation of microbial inoculants for agricultural applications, but a deep study of the microbiome–plant-environment relationships is also necessary in order to assure the effective and sustainable use of beneficial microorganisms.
This Special Issue will provide a collection of the most recent and significantly advanced research, offering new insights into the beneficial effects of microorganisms in sustainable agriculture, and their interactions with plants. We welcome the submission of original research papers, reviews, genome announcements, or draft genomes that cover, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- The effects of microorganisms on crop yield and quality under greenhouse and/or field conditions.
- Effects of microorganisms on plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
- Bioprospection of biological control agents and/or plant-growth-promoting microorganisms.
- Bioformulation of beneficial microorganisms for developing microbial inoculants.
- Molecular and metabolic mechanisms associated with beneficial microorganisms.
- Plant microbiome analyses.
- Genomic and transcriptomic studies of plant–beneficial microorganisms interactions.
- Taxonomy and systematics of beneficial microorganisms.
Dr. Sergio de los Santos Villalobos
Dr. Fannie I. Parra-Cota
Dr. Amelia C. Montoya-Martinez
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- plant-growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs)
- plant–microbe interactions
- bioinoculants
- soil microbial diversity
- crop enhancement
- microbiome
- biological control
- sustainable agriculture
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