Harnessing Microbes for Crop Protection and Fertilization

Dear Colleagues,

Microbes play a pivotal role in sustainable agriculture, offering eco-friendly solutions to enhance crop protection and fertilization. This Special Issue focuses on exploring the potential of beneficial microorganisms—such as bacteria, fungi, and other symbionts—in combating pests and diseases, improving soil fertility, and promoting plant growth. We welcome original research, reviews, and case studies highlighting innovative microbial applications, mechanisms of interaction, and biotechnological advancements. By integrating microbial strategies into agricultural practices, we aim to address global challenges like food security, reduced chemical dependency, and climate resilience, paving the way for greener and more productive farming systems.

Microbial technologies are emerging as transformative solutions to address the challenges of modern agriculture, including food security, climate resilience, and sustainable farming practices. The exploitation of beneficial microbes, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses, has demonstrated promising applications in enhancing crop protection and fertilization while reducing dependence on synthetic agrochemicals. This Special Issue focuses on exploring innovative microbial approaches to safeguard crops against pests and diseases, promote plant growth, and enhance soil fertility. Microbial agents such as Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Trichoderma species are pivotal in biocontrol strategies. These microbes produce secondary metabolites, enzymes, and antimicrobial compounds that suppress plant pathogens, including fungi, bacteria, and nematodes. Entomopathogenic fungi like Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae target insect pests, providing eco-friendly alternatives to chemical pesticides. Such biocontrol agents not only improve crop yield, but also maintain ecological balance by minimizing chemical residues in soil and water. In fertilization, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), mycorrhizal fungi, and nitrogen-fixing bacteria such as Rhizobium and Azospirillum play a critical role. These microbes enhance nutrient availability by solubilizing phosphates, fixing atmospheric nitrogen, and producing phytohormones that stimulate root development. Microbial biofertilizers are increasingly being recognized for their potential to enrich soil health and sustain agricultural productivity under resource-limited conditions. The integration of microbial-based technologies into mainstream agriculture requires a multidisciplinary approach involving molecular biology, genomics, and metabolomics. Advanced research on microbial communities, their interactions with plants, and their adaptability to environmental stresses can unlock new possibilities for optimizing these biocontrol and fertilization systems. This Special Issue aims to highlight cutting-edge research and reviews on the mechanisms, applications, and commercialization of microbial products in agriculture.

We invite contributions focusing on the following topics:

• Development and characterization of microbial agents for biocontrol and fertilization.
• Molecular and ecological insights into plant–microbe interactions.
• Formulation, delivery systems, and commercialization of microbial-based products.
• Case studies on the field application of microbial solutions.
• Challenges and future perspectives for integrating microbes into sustainable agriculture.

Through this Special Issue, we hope to advance the understanding and practical application of microbial technologies, paving the way for resilient and sustainable agricultural systems that benefit both farmers and the environment.

Prof. Dr. Humayun Javed
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Microorganisms 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 2700 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.