Special Issue "Beneficial Microbes for Sustainable Agriculture"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2022.

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Weilan Zhang
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental & Sustainable Engineering, the State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA
Interests: sustainable remediation; emerging contaminants; environmental behavior of contaminants

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Beneficial microbes (e.g., rhizobia, mycorrhizal fungi, actinomycetes, diazotrophic bacteria) that create symbiotic associations with plant roots could improve the nutrient profile of crops and the resistance of plants to certain pests, diseases, chemical treatments, and stressful environmental conditions. Moreover, beneficial microbes could be applied for the transformation of agricultural biomass to green biofuels and other industrially goods, as well as for bioremediation of contaminated farmland soil. Thus, microbial biotechnology is a promising implement to facilitate and promote sustainable agriculture. To better describe the critical role of microbes in agricultural industry and supplement existing literature on applications of microbal biotechnology in sustainable agriculture, this Special Issue on “Beneficial Microbes for Sustainable Agriculture” is aiming at providing the state of the art and perspectives of knowledge about beneficial microorganisms in agriculture with an evaluation of key mechanisms of interaction between beneficial microbes and plants, and the performance of these microbes to improve the productivity and sustainability of agricultural systems. It welcomes reviews, perspectives, communications, and original research articles focusing on the functional relationship between plants and their microbiota. Applications of beneficial microbes in green energy production, pollution control, and bioremediation for comtaminated farmland field are also of particular interest.

Dr. Weilan Zhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • microbes
  • sustainable agriculture
  • biotechnology
  • plant–microbe interaction
  • plant microbiome
  • rhizosphere microbiome
  • bioremediation
  • green energy
  • pollution control

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

Article
Potential Bioinoculants for Sustainable Agriculture Prospected from Ferruginous Caves of the Iron Quadrangle/Brazil
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9354; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169354 - 20 Aug 2021
Viewed by 284
Abstract
Biocontrol and plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are important agricultural bioinoculants. This study aimed to prospect new potential bioinoculants for a more sustainable agriculture from ferruginous caves of the Brazilian Iron Quadrangle. Culturable bacteria, from seven caves and one canga soil sample, were evaluated [...] Read more.
Biocontrol and plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are important agricultural bioinoculants. This study aimed to prospect new potential bioinoculants for a more sustainable agriculture from ferruginous caves of the Brazilian Iron Quadrangle. Culturable bacteria, from seven caves and one canga soil sample, were evaluated for biocontroller activity of the phytopathogens Xanthomonas citri subsp. CitriXcc306 (citrus canker), Fusarium oxysporumFo (fusariosis), and Colletotrichum lindemuthianumCl89 (bean anthracnose). The ability of the superior candidates to solubilize inorganic phosphate, fix nitrogen, and produce hydrolytic enzymes and siderophores was then analyzed. Out of 563 isolates, 47 inhibited the growth of Xcc306 in vitro, of which 9 reduced citrus canker up to 68% when co-inoculated with the pathogen on host plants. Twenty of the 47 inhibited Fo growth directly by 51–73%, and 15 indirectly by 75–81%. These 15 inhibited Cl89 growth in vitro (up to 93% directly and 100% indirectly), fixed nitrogen, produced proteases and siderophores, showed motility ability, produced biofilm, and all but one solubilized inorganic phosphate. Therefore, 15 (2.66%) bacterial isolates, from the genera Serratia, Nissabacter, and Dickeya, act simultaneously as biocontrollers and PGPBs, and could be important candidates for future investigations in planta as an alternative to minimize the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers through sustainable agricultural management practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Beneficial Microbes for Sustainable Agriculture)
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Article
Production, Purification, and Characterization of Bacillibactin Siderophore of Bacillus subtilis and Its Application for Improvement in Plant Growth and Oil Content in Sesame
Sustainability 2021, 13(10), 5394; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13105394 - 12 May 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 777
Abstract
Siderophores are low molecular weight secondary metabolites produced by microorganisms under low iron stress as a specific iron chelator. In the present study, a rhizospheric bacterium was isolated from the rhizosphere of sesame plants from Salem district, Tamil Nadu, India and later identified [...] Read more.
Siderophores are low molecular weight secondary metabolites produced by microorganisms under low iron stress as a specific iron chelator. In the present study, a rhizospheric bacterium was isolated from the rhizosphere of sesame plants from Salem district, Tamil Nadu, India and later identified as Bacillus subtilis LSBS2. It exhibited multiple plant-growth-promoting (PGP) traits such as hydrogen cyanide (HCN), ammonia, and indole acetic acid (IAA), and solubilized phosphate. The chrome azurol sulphonate (CAS) agar plate assay was used to screen the siderophore production of LSBS2 and quantitatively the isolate produced 296 mg/L of siderophores in succinic acid medium. Further characterization of the siderophore revealed that the isolate produced catecholate siderophore bacillibactin. A pot culture experiment was used to explore the effect of LSBS2 and its siderophore in promoting iron absorption and plant growth of Sesamum indicum L. Data from the present study revealed that the multifarious Bacillus sp. LSBS2 could be exploited as a potential bioinoculant for growth and yield improvement in S. indicum. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Beneficial Microbes for Sustainable Agriculture)
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Article
Rhizospheric Phosphate Solubilizing Bacillus atrophaeus GQJK17 S8 Increases Quinoa Seedling, Withstands Heavy Metals, and Mitigates Salt Stress
Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3307; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063307 - 17 Mar 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 628
Abstract
Introduction of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa willd.), a gluten-free nutritious pseudo-cereal, outside its traditional growing areas exposed it to seedling damping-off. Here, we isolated eleven phosphate-solubilizing bacteria from the quinoa rhizosphere and assessed their effect on germination and seedlings growth. All isolates solubilized [...] Read more.
Introduction of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa willd.), a gluten-free nutritious pseudo-cereal, outside its traditional growing areas exposed it to seedling damping-off. Here, we isolated eleven phosphate-solubilizing bacteria from the quinoa rhizosphere and assessed their effect on germination and seedlings growth. All isolates solubilized phosphate, produced indole3-acetic acid, hydrocyanic acid, siderophores, and ammonia. Genotypic analysis revealed that our strains are related to the genus of Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Enterobacter. Strains Enterobacter asburiae (QD14, QE4, QE6, and QE16), Enterobacter sp. QE3, and Enterobacter hormaechei QE7 withstood 1.5 mg·L−1 of cadmium sulfate, 0.5 mg·mL−1 of nickel nitrate, and 1 mg·mL−1 of copper sulfate. Moreover, all strains solubilized zinc from ZnO; P. Stutzeri QD1 and E. asburiae QD14 did not solubilize Zn3(PO4)2 and CO3Zn, whereas CO3Zn was not solubilized by E. asburiae QE16. Bacillus atrophaeus S8 tolerated 11% NaCl. P. frederiksbergensis S6 and Pseudomonas sp. S7 induced biofilm formation. Anti-fusarium activity was demonstrated for E.asburiae QE16, P. stutzeri QD1, P. frederiksbergensis S6, Pseudomonas sp. S7, and B. atrophaeus S8. Lastly, inoculation of quinoa seeds with B. atrophaeus S8 and E. asburiae QB1 induced the best germination rate and seedling growth, suggesting their potential use as inoculants for salty and heavy metal or zinc contaminated soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Beneficial Microbes for Sustainable Agriculture)
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