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Agronomy
Special Issues
Perspectives and Challenges of Microbial Application for Crop Improvement
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Perspectives and Challenges of Microbial Application for Crop Improvement

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2022) | Viewed by 14884

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Eligio Malusá

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Institute of Horticulture and CREA-Research Centre for Viticulture and Enology, Skierniewice, Poland
Interests: plant-microbes interactions; plant nutrition and protection; organic farming
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Xiangming Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pest and Pathogen Ecology, NIAB East Malling Research (EMR), East Malling ME19 6BJ, UK
Interests: plant disease epidemiology and management; microbial ecology; population modelling/biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Ivana Maksimović

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Trg D. Obradovića, 821000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Interests: plant physiology; plant nutrition; ecology; plant biotechnology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Many specific microbial strains from several taxonomic groups have been demonstrated to have a beneficial impact on the growth, yield and quality of crops and hence could be used as tools in commercial agriculture to minimise the use of synthetic chemicals (e.g., pesticides and fertilisers) and, hence, their potential negative impact on the general environment. However, despite the intensive research effort and identification of many candidate microbial strains, there is only a limited number of commercial products for use in practice. Even for these commercial products, their use is frequently hampered by their often-variable efficacies, particularly for field applications. The  current status of biocontrol research and biostimulants in relation to limited success in product development can be attributable to a number of factors: i) a limited understanding of the complex interrelationships that exist between these microorganisms, the plants and the environment; ii) inadequate implementation of manufacturing and formulation processes; iii) product application in practice without adequate consideration of microbial ecology under changing conditions; and iv) lack of a science-based regulatory framework in product approval.

In view of the current worldwide policies and concepts fostering sustainable agriculture with minimal input of synthetic compounds, a full exploitation of microbial-based products requires that researchers address the abovementioned challenges with a multidisciplinary and holistic approach.

This Special Issue aims at highlighting the several facets in developing microbial-based products and optimisation of their applications in practice to maximise their impact on crop nutrition and protection from pests and diseases. In addition to research on biological mechanisms and product development, a key aspect for commercial uptake of these products is how they could be effectively integrated with other standard practices (e.g., irrigation). Similarly, is there synergy in using multiple products simultaneously or over time? If so, what is the biological basis for such observed synergy? We welcome standard research and perspective papers as well as critical reviews on these topics.

Dr. Eligio Malusa
Prof. Dr. Xiangming Xu
Prof. Dr. Ivana Maksimović
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. Agronomy 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

  • biofertiliser
  • biopesticide
  • bioinoculant formulation
  • endophyte
  • field application
  • plant–microorganism–soil relationship

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 5792 KiB  
Article
Conception and Development of Recycled Raw Materials (Coconut Fiber and Bagasse)-Based Substrates Enriched with Soil Microorganisms (Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, Trichoderma spp. and Pseudomonas spp.) for the Soilless Cultivation of Tomato (S. lycopersicum)
by Sylvie Masquelier, Tommaso Sozzi, Janie Camille Bouvet, Jérôme Bésiers and Jean-Marc Deogratias
Agronomy 2022, 12(4), 767; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12040767 - 23 Mar 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2728
Abstract
The global production quantity and the utilisation area harvested for the cultivation of tomatoes have significantly increased in the last three decades. Europe still plays an important role in the production of tomatoes, accounting for 12% of global production in 2020. Tomato production [...] Read more.
The global production quantity and the utilisation area harvested for the cultivation of tomatoes have significantly increased in the last three decades. Europe still plays an important role in the production of tomatoes, accounting for 12% of global production in 2020. Tomato production can be divided into greenhouse/soilless production and open field production. Greenhouse/soilless tomato production is mostly developed in northern Europe, and open field production in southern Europe. Soilless cultivation serves to improve control of the growing medium and to avoid any likely problems for watering and maintaining proper nutrient concentrations. Beneficial soil microorganisms, particularly arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), are increasingly being recognized as key elements of an agro-ecological approach to agricultural production. The use of these beneficial microorganisms on soilless tomato production may improve plant performance and reduce biotic and abiotic stress occurring during production with a consequent decrease of chemicals and increase of sustainability of the production system. In this paper, we tested different substrates composed of coconut fiber and bagasse (S1 to S4) and beneficial microorganisms (AMF, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Trichoderma harzianum), selecting the most suitable system for the soilless production of tomatoes. Our results showed that substrates S1 (100% coconut fiber) and S2 (66% coconut fiber + 33% bagasse) complementarily used with the consortium of “AMF IP21 + Trichoderma harzianum + Pseudomonas fluorescens IPB04” seem to be the “best formulation” for this purpose. That confirmed the feasibility of the development of recycled material (coconut fiber and bagasse)-based substrates together with soil microorganisms (AMF and beneficial bacteria) for soilless tomato production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives and Challenges of Microbial Application for Crop Improvement)
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17 pages, 4990 KiB  
Article
Effective Biocontrol of Rice Blast through Dipping Transplants and Foliar Applications
by Ruth Murunde, Gideon Ringo, Louisa Robinson-Boyer and Xiangming Xu
Agronomy 2022, 12(3), 592; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12030592 - 27 Feb 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2142
Abstract
Rice (Oryza sativa) is an increasingly popular food in Africa. As much as 30% of yields are lost due to blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae. Several commercial biopesticides of Bacillus subtilis, Trichoderma asperellum, and Serratia sp. strains were [...] Read more.
Rice (Oryza sativa) is an increasingly popular food in Africa. As much as 30% of yields are lost due to blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae. Several commercial biopesticides of Bacillus subtilis, Trichoderma asperellum, and Serratia sp. strains were evaluated under field conditions for their effects against rice blast and yield at one site in Kenya and three sites in Tanzania in 2020 and 2021. Each biopesticide was applied as a dipping treatment at transplanting, post-transplanting foliar spraying, or both. Using biopesticides not only achieved blast control but also increased grain yield, particularly in low-production regions in Tanzania, with a yield increase of >100%. For higher-production sites with low disease pressure, the yield increase through biopesticides over the untreated control was limited, although significant disease suppression was achieved. Dipping alone was sufficient to suppress disease and improve yield unless disease pressure was high. The differences among the three biopesticides varied with site/year but generally were small. Improved yield using biopesticides is unlikely to result solely from reduced blast development, but also from improved plant development. The present study suggests that these commercial biopesticides should be applied in rice production, particularly in subsistence farming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives and Challenges of Microbial Application for Crop Improvement)
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13 pages, 1380 KiB  
Article
The Multiple Activities and the Plant Beneficial Potential of Bacillus spp. Derived from the Permafrost of Western Siberia
by Olga V. Domanskaya, Nina A. Bome, Aleksandr V. Iashnikov, Anastasia V. Vasilchenko and Alexey S. Vasilchenko
Agronomy 2021, 11(11), 2347; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11112347 - 19 Nov 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2733
Abstract
Agents of biological control are an important part of traditional agriculture, as well as organic farming. However, in the climatic conditions of countries that are located in cold and temperate regions, plant protection requires particular biocontrol agents that have adapted to environments with [...] Read more.
Agents of biological control are an important part of traditional agriculture, as well as organic farming. However, in the climatic conditions of countries that are located in cold and temperate regions, plant protection requires particular biocontrol agents that have adapted to environments with low and unstable temperatures. This work presents the biocontrol potential and plant-promoting activity of Bacillus spp. that was isolated from permafrost sediments in Western Siberia. It was found that all of the studied strains (n = 10) were able to produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and chitinolytic enzymes at low positive temperatures (5 °C). The antifungal activity of cold-tolerant bacilli against Microdochium sp., Fusarium spp., and Alternaria sp was recorded. In greenhouse and field conditions, the selected strains (B. simplex 948P-1 (IAA-producing) and B. megaterium 312 (with antifungal activity)) were assessed in comparison to a commercially available fungicide (tebuconazole) and biofungicide (B.subtilis 26D). It was found that the bacilli in the seed germination assay exhibited low phytotoxicity and there was no significant advantage over the conventional fungicides in the yield stimulation assay. However, the twin consortia of B. megaterium 312 and B. simplex 948P-1 was able to increase winter wheat yields by 50% (compared to the untreated group), and by 70% (compared to the commercial biofungicide-treated group). Moreover, applying the twin consortia of Bacillus spp. significantly reduced the infection rate of Fusarium spp. in first-generation wheat grain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives and Challenges of Microbial Application for Crop Improvement)
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11 pages, 2521 KiB  
Article
Critical Evaluation of Two Commercial Biocontrol Agents for Their Efficacy against B. cinerea under In Vitro and In Vivo Conditions in Relation to Different Abiotic Factors
by Gurkan Tut, Naresh Magan, Philp Brain and Xiangming Xu
Agronomy 2021, 11(9), 1868; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11091868 - 17 Sep 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2152
Abstract
The study evaluated the dose–response relationship of two commercial microbial biocontrol agents, Bacillus subtilis and Gliocladium catenulatum, against Botrytis cinerea both in vitro and in vivo. Inoculum doses, formulation, temperature and foliar leaf part all affected the control achieved by the two [...] Read more.
The study evaluated the dose–response relationship of two commercial microbial biocontrol agents, Bacillus subtilis and Gliocladium catenulatum, against Botrytis cinerea both in vitro and in vivo. Inoculum doses, formulation, temperature and foliar leaf part all affected the control achieved by the two BCAs. In vitro competition assays on modified PDA plates tested a range of BCA doses (log10 3–10 CFUs or spores/droplet) at 4, 10 and 20 °C on the development of B. cinerea colonies. The dose–response relationship was influenced by both the BCA formulation and temperature. In vivo studies on lettuce plants in semi-commercial greenhouses examined the BCA dose (log10 5–9 CFUs or spores/mL) for controlling B. cinerea with a high inoculum (log10 6 spores/mL). Leaf disc assays showed that the dose–response relationship was influenced by the leaf parts sampled. These results suggest that the dose–response relationship between a BCA and specific pathogen will be significantly influenced by environmental conditions, formulation and plant phyllosplane tissue. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives and Challenges of Microbial Application for Crop Improvement)
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Review

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15 pages, 1192 KiB  
Review
Tackling the Context-Dependency of Microbial-Induced Resistance
by Ana Shein Lee Díaz, Desiré Macheda, Haymanti Saha, Ursula Ploll, Dimitri Orine and Arjen Biere
Agronomy 2021, 11(7), 1293; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11071293 - 25 Jun 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4080
Abstract
Plant protection with beneficial microbes is considered to be a promising alternative to chemical control of pests and pathogens. Beneficial microbes can boost plant defences via induced systemic resistance (ISR), enhancing plant resistance against future biotic stresses. Although the use of ISR-inducing microbes [...] Read more.
Plant protection with beneficial microbes is considered to be a promising alternative to chemical control of pests and pathogens. Beneficial microbes can boost plant defences via induced systemic resistance (ISR), enhancing plant resistance against future biotic stresses. Although the use of ISR-inducing microbes in agriculture seems promising, the activation of ISR is context-dependent: it often occurs only under particular biotic and abiotic conditions, thus making its use unpredictable and hindering its application. Although major breakthroughs in research on mechanistic aspects of ISR have been reported, ISR research is mainly conducted under highly controlled conditions, differing from those in agricultural systems. This forms one of the bottlenecks for the development of applications based on ISR-inducing microbes in commercial agriculture. We propose an approach that explicitly incorporates context-dependent factors in ISR research to improve the predictability of ISR induction under environmentally variable conditions. Here, we highlight how abiotic and biotic factors influence plant–microbe interactions in the context of ISR. We also discuss the need to raise awareness in harnessing interdisciplinary efforts between researchers and stakeholders partaking in the development of applications involving ISR-inducing microbes for sustainable agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives and Challenges of Microbial Application for Crop Improvement)
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