Innovative Research on Soil Microbial Ecosystem and Its Interaction with Crop Plants

Dear Colleagues,

The agronomic application of the beneficial soil–plant–microbe interactions is well represented by the nitrogen fixation in agricultural soil by the legume and cereal associative bacteria. Since the discovery of biological nitrogen fixation over a century ago, our knowledge in the areas of soil–plant–microbe interactions has significantly advanced, particularly promoted by the rapid development and establishment of DNA sequencing technology. Numerous studies have evidently shown that in both agronomic and other ecological environments, soil microbial communities contain a diversity of plant-antagonistic and plant-beneficial microbes, to which the crop plants respond in specific ways. Microbial inoculants could influence the various defense mechanisms in crop plants and the biogeochemical processes in the environment through direct or indirect modes of action. To harness the full power of microbes within agronomic soil and microbial systems, it is imperative to improve our understanding of microbial involvement in the biogeochemical process in the terrestrial ecosystem.

In order to develop effective technologies and identify sustainable solutions to improve the agronomic products, it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms regulating the interactions among crop plants, rhizosphere soil, and soil microorganisms. This Special Issue aims to publish research on the crop plant–soil–microbe interactions, related to community assembly, nutrient regulation, secretion of secondary metabolites, and the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Some of the main aspects of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Impact of soil microorganisms on both quantity and quality of agronomic products and the use of microorganisms as a strategy to improve the yield of agronomic products;
2. Dynamics of crop plant–microbe interactions in relation to soil conditions and growth of crop plants;
3. Ecological and evolutionary bases of crop plant–soil–microbe interactions;
4. Broad impact of plant–soil–microbe interactions on ecosystems and agricultural productivity.

Dr. Fengjie Sun
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

• soil
• microorganisms
• crop
• plant–microbe interactions
• agronomic products
• soil health