The Role of Soil Microbial Community Shift in Soil Sickness
A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 6740
Special Issue Editors
Interests: plant–soil microbial interactions; microbial ecology; plant ecology; mycorrhiza
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: plant pathology; soilborne pathogens; botany; ecology; microbiology; soil organic matter dynamics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
As plants grow, they alter the biotic and abiotic properties of the soil, which in turn affects the growth and survival of subsequent plants, a process known as plant–soil feedback (PSF). Soil sickness is a typical negative PSF with a reduction in crop yield when the same crop or its related species are grown successively on the same soil. Evidence suggests that the soil microbial community plays an important role in determining soil quality in terms of nutrient availability and pathogen defense. However, these specific microbes in the soil do not function independently but are involved in complex networks through competition, predation, and facilitation. Therefore, it is necessary to study how microbes interact in the soil to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for soil sickness with a reduction in beneficial microbes and an accumulation of pathogens. Many studies have shown that the abundance and diversity of bacteria and fungi changes in association with the cultivation of continuous monocultures. However, how continuous monocultures affect soil microbial interaction networks is largely unknown. For this reason, and with the increasing use of newly developed techniques such as next-generation sequencing, the functioning of the microbial community in soil sickness is receiving more attention than before.
In this Special Issue of Microorganisms, we invite you to submit papers on various aspects of the soil microbial community, such as beneficial and detrimental ones, in the development or alleviation of soil sickness in agroecosystems. In addition, manuscripts are welcome that address the application of organic amendments, biocontrol agents, biochar, and chemical fertilizers and their effects on the soil microbial community for treating soil sickness.
Dr. Mohamed Idbella
Prof. Dr. Giuliano Bonanomi
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. 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.
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.