Phytomicrobiome Research for Disease and Pathogen Management

Dear Colleagues,

Plant health and productivity require a holistic view and an in-depth understanding of the diversity and functions of microorganisms associated with soil and plants, also known as phytomicrobiome​, which include beneficial members that provide critical ecosystem services and pathogens threatening food safety and security. High-throughput omics tools, ranging from metabarcoding, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, metaproteomics, to metabolomics, allow identify bioindicators (microorganisms, genes, and/or molecules) associated with ecosystem functioning, reveal synergisms and antagonisms among community members across kingdoms, and assess the impact of environmental (e.g. climate) and anthropological factors (e.g. agronomic practices). Such knowledge, coupled with culture-dependent and greenhouse/field experiments, also provides opportunities to develop innovative biocontrol approaches and assist in pathogen management for better plant and soil health. 

This special issue of Plants looks forward to receiving contributions, either research papers or reviews, about the most recent significant insights dedicated to 1) phytomicrobiomes, their functions and dynamics in agroecosystems or forests, 2) the impact of environmental and anthropogenic factors, as well as 3) interactions among community members and, notably, towards phytopathogen communities (e.g. viruses, bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, protozoa, nematodes) or pests. Papers dedicated to the development of methods to harness beneficial phytomicrobiome as well as the assessment of their efficacy in improving plant and soil health are also welcome.

Dr. Wen Chen
Dr. Adeline Picot
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.