Plant Microbiome

Dear Colleagues,

Plants, like other eukaryotes, form close interactions with microorganisms which are essential for the performance and survival of the host. The structure of the plant microbiome is determined by biotic and abiotic factors, and it reveals high plant specificity, even at the cultivar level. Co-evolution has resulted in intimate plant-microbe relationships that create specific and stable microbiomes. In addition to the joint fulfillment of tasks, some—even essential—functions are “outsourced” to symbiotic organisms living with them. Thus, in nature, plants and their inhabiting communities can collectively be considered as interacting metaorganisms or holobionts: an association of a macroscopic host and a diverse microbiome consisting of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and protists, within which the microbes usually outnumber the cells belonging to the plant host. In this respect, plant-microbe interactions are a key for understanding plant growth and health as well as for sustainable crop production. In addition, structural diversity is paramount to the preventive avoidance of pathogen invasion and outbreaks. This Special Issue aims to highlight the current knowledge on the broad field of plant microbiome research based on state-of-the-art technologies. We encourage the submission of high-quality research and review articles addressing in-depth analyses of structure, diversity and specificity of all plant-associated communities, encompassing rhizosphere, phyllosphere and endosphere colonization. Especially welcome are articles enlightening the linkage of microbiome structure and function as well as plant-microbe interactions with respect to improved plant growth, health, quality, and stress resistance.

Prof. Dr. Gabriele Berg and Dr. Martina Köberl
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. Horticulturae 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 2200 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.

• plant-associated microbiota
• plant-microbe interactions
• plant growth promoters
• pathogen suppression
• stress tolerance
• rhizosphere
• phyllosphere
• endophytes