Plant–Microbe Interactions and Their Importance for Horticultural Crop Productivity

Dear Colleagues,

The productivity and resilience of horticultural crops are heavily influenced by beneficial microbes. These symbiotic associations include a variety of beneficial microbes, such as mycorrhizal fungi, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and plant-growth-promoting bacteria. Integrating these microbial partners into horticultural crops provides a sustainable approach to augment horticultural yield and quality, mitigate abiotic stresses, and suppress soilborne pathogens.

Mycorrhizal fungi establish mutually beneficial relationships with a wide range of plants, enabling nutrient acquisition, particularly phosphorus, and water uptake, which, thus, boost plant vigor and tolerance to abiotic stress. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria contribute to soil fertility by converting atmospheric nitrogen into an accessible form for plants, minimizing the need for synthetic fertilizers. Furthermore, plant-growth-promoting bacteria secrete bioactive compounds that stimulate host plant defenses and antagonize phytopathogens, providing a natural means of pest control.

The strategic application of these beneficial microbes in horticulture entails the careful selection and formulation of microbial consortia tailored to specific crop requirements and environmental conditions. Advances in biotechnology and molecular diagnostics enable the precise identification and deployment of the most effective microbial strains. Moreover, the adoption of integrated pest management strategies that incorporate beneficial microbes alongside traditional methods promotes a comprehensive approach to horticultural crop productivity.

To summarize, the orchestration of plant–microbe interactions holds great potential for the future of sustainable horticulture. Based on their power, beneficial microorganisms can optimize crop performance and reduce environmental impact. This Special Issue welcomes relevant research papers and reviews to highlight the complex dynamics of these interactions, as well as applying these valuable microbial friends to increase horticultural crop productivity.

Prof. Dr. Qiang-Sheng Wu
Guest Editor

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.

• mycorrhizal fungi
• nitrogen-fixing bacteria
• plant growth promoting bacterium
• pathogens
• symbiosis
• sustainable horticulture
• biofertilizer
• stress resistance