Topic Editors

Department of Forest Mycology and Pathology, Uppsala BioCenter, P.O. Box 7026, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
Soils and Natural Resources Department, Spectroscopy Laboratory (Vis-IF) and Sustainable Soil Management, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Concepcion, Vicente Mendez 3812120, Chile

New Insights into Plant Biotic and Abiotic Stress

Abstract submission deadline
30 April 2026
Manuscript submission deadline
30 June 2026
Viewed by
119

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Currently, the world faces an increased frequency of drought and heat waves and the appearance of new diseases. By the end of the century, crop production will need to increase by 50% to meet the anticipated food demand and encounter the challenges caused by climate change. In addition to global concerns over food insecurity, future agriculture must meet a considerable number of other grand challenges, including becoming more sustainable, and biofortifying the ecosystems’ biodiversity.

It is urgent to develop alternatives to current agricultural systems that highly depend on agrochemicals and water. Understanding how microbiomes influence the fitness network of crops, grassland plants, and soil health under global change is pivotal for developing sustainable agricultural strategies.

It has been suggested that microbiomes, via multiple cascades, define plant phenotypes, including stress tolerance, as well as providing genetic variability (biodiversity). Plant and soil signals affect interaction with microbial communities and hence are also relevant for making more efficient the benefits of treatments with microbial biostimulants for improving tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. These signals are related to the production of specific compounds and expression of specific genes. However, what specific mechanisms underlie their effect on plant-microbiome interaction and how they make microbiomes highly efficient, are all still largely unanswered questions.

Therefore, information about these mechanisms, identification of the compounds and genes involved, and what regulatory mechanisms affect plant–soil-microbiome interactions, are essential for understanding which features can increase the beneficial effect of microbiome treatment.

We encourage contributions that advance our understanding of these critical issues, fostering dialogue and innovation to support the long-term health and resilience of agro-ecosystems.

Dr. Salme Timmusk
Dr. Erick Zagal
Topic Editors

Keywords

  • plant biotic stress
  • plant abiotic stress
  • drought
  • microbial biostimulant
  • stress tolerance
  • genes
  • plant physiology

Participating Journals

Journal Name Impact Factor CiteScore Launched Year First Decision (median) APC
Crops
crops
1.9 2.4 2021 23.5 Days CHF 1200 Submit
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
ijms
4.9 9.0 2000 20.5 Days CHF 2900 Submit
Stresses
stresses
- 6.9 2021 25.2 Days CHF 1200 Submit
International Journal of Plant Biology
ijpb
- 3.0 2010 19.6 Days CHF 1200 Submit

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