Plant-Microbe Interactions and Microbial Application for Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Protection, Diseases, Pests and Weeds".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2024 | Viewed by 1303

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institut Polytechnique UniLaSalle, Research Unit AGHYLE UP2018.C101, Team Rouen, Mont Saint Aignan, France
Interests: soil microbial ecology; soil functions; soil microbiological indicators; microbial soil diagnostic tools; agricultural management practices; soil microbial diversity; structure and the functions relationship; legumes crops performance

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institut Polytechnique UniLaSalle, Research Unit AGHYLE UP2018.C101, Team Rouen, Mont Saint Aignan, France
Interests: soil microbial ecology; soil fertility; soil quality; organic matter; soil bioindicators; soil functions; agricultural practices
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable agriculture involves maximizing beneficial plant–microorganism interactions, which are complex, dynamic, and continuous processes. The objective is to decrease the usage of chemical inputs, boost plant development, and improve plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic challenges through agricultural approaches that improve plant–microorganism interactions. In truth, multiple approaches might be used to achieve the goals of sustainable agriculture. It is necessary to investigate the potential of the soil microbiome/rhizospheric microbiome in plant health and nutrition.

The primary focus of this issue is to investigate research studies that explore the role of the soil microbiome in plant nutrition, resistance, and health. Manuscripts should provide insights into plant–microbe interactions and the application of microbial techniques in sustainable agriculture, with a specific emphasis on their potential to enhance crop productivity and improve soil health. The aim of this Special Issue is to call for papers with a focus on plant pathology, agronomy, agricultural practices, enhancing resistance to abiotic restrictions, the function of microorganisms in biotechnology, and any other related topics.

Therefore, this Special Issue aims to encourage the submission of contributions that explore innovative approaches to minimizing reliance on chemical pesticides and mineral fertilizers while fostering sustainable agricultural practices for crop production. We invite you to submit research articles, review articles, and short communications related to state-of-the-art plant–microbe interaction research.

Dr. Wassila Riah-Anglet
Dr. Isabelle Trinsoutrot-Gattin
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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.

Keywords

  • plant rhizosphere
  • soil microbes
  • plant growth
  • agricultural management
  • crop yields
  • soil functions
  • microorganisms’ diversity
  • PGPR
  • bio stimulant agent
  • biocontrol agent
  • biotic and abiotic stresses

Published Papers (1 paper)

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9 pages, 639 KiB  
Brief Report
What Is More Important to Host-Seeking Entomopathogenic Nematodes, Innate or Learned Preference?
by Alexander Gaffke, Maritza Romero and Hans Alborn
Agriculture 2023, 13(9), 1802; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agriculture13091802 - 13 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 943
Abstract
Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), small soil-dwelling non-segmented roundworms, are obligate parasites of insects and commonly used in agriculture for biological control of insect pests. For successful reproduction, EPNs must identify, move towards, and successfully infect a suitable insect host in a chemically complex soil [...] Read more.
Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), small soil-dwelling non-segmented roundworms, are obligate parasites of insects and commonly used in agriculture for biological control of insect pests. For successful reproduction, EPNs must identify, move towards, and successfully infect a suitable insect host in a chemically complex soil environment. EPNs can have innate host insect preferences and can be attracted to semiochemicals associated with that host. They can also develop strong learned preferences for chemical signals associated with the presence of a host, such as herbivory-induced volatiles. We hypothesized that simultaneous manipulation of innate and learned preferences could result in increased biological control services of EPNs in agriculture. Separate cohorts of the EPN Steinernema diaprepesi were raised on two insect hosts, Galleria mellonella and Tenebrio molitor, for multiple generations until the nematodes in a dual-choice olfactometer exhibited preference for the host they were reared on. Subsequently, the two strains of nematodes were imprinted on three plant-produced terpenoids of agricultural significance: pregeijerene, β-caryophyllene, and α-pinene. After exposure to one of the plant compounds, the behavior of the EPNs was assayed in an olfactometer where the two host insects were presented with and without the plant compounds. We found that plant volatile exposure increased the infection rate of the nematodes, and some host–compound combinations proved to be attractive, but other combinations appeared to become repellent. These results indicate that learned preference is neither subordinate nor superior to innate preference, and that infection efficiency can vary with compound exposure and insect host. Full article
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