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Microbial Biostimulants: From the Lab to the Field for a...
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Microbial Biostimulants: From the Lab to the Field for a New Agriculture 2.0

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Microbe Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 20268

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Francois Lefort

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Plants and Pathogens Group, Research Institute Land Nature and Environment, Hepia, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Jussy, 1200 Geneva, Switzerland
Interests: pathogens; plant genetic resources; plant pathogenic microorganisms; bioprospection; biostimulants; genomics; metagenomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is the continuation of our previous special issue "Microbial Biostimulants: From the Lab to the Field for a New Agriculture".

Plant biostimulants have been named under different terminologies for the past 30 years as a function of their variable modes of action. The most consensual and recent definition states that biostimulants are biological substances, micro-organisms, and mineral compounds which can be directly applied to plants, seeds, and soil in order to improve plant growth, increase crop yield, and reduce plant stress. Mostly used in agriculture as preventive agents, they act as plant growth stimulators and enhancers of resistance to biotic and abiotic stress. This Special Issue aims to bring together a sample of very recent developments in microbial biostimulants for agriculture, on their way to the biofertilizer market or recently available to diverse agricultural production sectors, whether it be in horticulture, environmental and fruit arboriculture, viticulture, silviculture, or vegetable or crop production. The development of these innovating products has been based on chemistry, biochemistry, biotechnology, and microbiology applied to agriculture, taking into account the physiological, agricultural, and ecological constraints of plants. Finally, these plant microbial biostimulants must be effective at very low doses, while being ecologically friendly. They especially must produce a positive and reproducible effect on crops. Whether bacteria or fungi, these microorganisms that can be used as plant biostimulants and plant health promoters are part of a wide unknown microbial diversity, constituting the rhizospheric, epiphytic, or endophytic microbiota which are on the way to being domesticated. Their activities are also sustained by genetic interactions between plant and microbe species, which have yet to be elucidated, alongside their impacts on human and animal health.

Prof. Dr. Francois Lefort
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. 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.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 3564 KiB  
Article
Effect of Indole-3-Acetic Acid on Tomato Plant Growth
by Laiana Lana Bentes Lobo, Maura Santos Reis de Andrade da Silva, Tereza Cristina Luque Castellane, Rogério Falleiros Carvalho and Everlon Cid Rigobelo
Microorganisms 2022, 10(11), 2212; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10112212 - 9 Nov 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2342
Abstract
Plant growth-promoting bacteria have several abilities to promote plant growth and development. One of these skills is the synthesis of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), which mainly promotes root and shoot development. The bacteria Bacillus subtilis and Azospirillum brasilense have been widely used in agriculture [...] Read more.
Plant growth-promoting bacteria have several abilities to promote plant growth and development. One of these skills is the synthesis of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), which mainly promotes root and shoot development. The bacteria Bacillus subtilis and Azospirillum brasilense have been widely used in agriculture with this function. However, little is known about whether the joint inoculation of these bacteria can reduce plant development by the excess of IAA produced as a result of the joint inoculation. The objective of the present study was to verify the effect of IAA on the inoculation of B. subtilis and A. brasilense in three tomato genotypes. The Micro-Tom genotype without mutation for IAA synthesis, Entire, has high sensitivity to IAA, and the diageotropic genotype (dgt) has low sensitivity to IAA. The results show that the plant parameter most sensitive to microbial inoculation is the number of roots. No treatment increased the shoot dry mass parameters for the Micro-Tom genotype and dgt, root dry mass for the Micro-Tom genotype, plant height for the Micro-Tom and Entire genotypes, root area and root volume for the genotype dgt. The Azm treatment reduced plant height compared to the control in the dgt, the BS + Azw and BS + Azm treatments in the Micro-Tom genotype and the Azw + Azm treatment in the dgt genotype reduced the plant diameter compared to the control. BS and BS + Azw reduced the number of roots in the Micro-Tom. The results strongly support that the mixture of B. subtilis and A. brasilense can reduce some parameters of plant development; however, this effect is possibly an interference in the mode of action of growth promotion of each isolate and is not related to an excess of IAA produced by the bacteria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Biostimulants: From the Lab to the Field for a New Agriculture 2.0)
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24 pages, 3721 KiB  
Article
Microbial Inoculation Improves Growth, Nutritional and Physiological Aspects of Glycine max (L.) Merr.
by Mateus Neri Oliveira Reis, Luciana Cristina Vitorino, Lucas Loram Lourenço and Layara Alexandre Bessa
Microorganisms 2022, 10(7), 1386; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10071386 - 10 Jul 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2541
Abstract
Considering a scenario where there is a low availability and increasing costs of fertilizers in the global agricultural market, as well as a finitude of important natural resources, such as phosphorus (P), this study tested the effect of the inoculation of rhizospheric or [...] Read more.
Considering a scenario where there is a low availability and increasing costs of fertilizers in the global agricultural market, as well as a finitude of important natural resources, such as phosphorus (P), this study tested the effect of the inoculation of rhizospheric or endophytic microorganisms isolated from Hymenaea courbaril and Butia purpurascens on the growth promotion of Glycine max (L.) Merr. The tests were conducted in a controlled greenhouse system, and the effects of biofertilization were evaluated using the following parameters: dry biomass, nutritional content, and photochemical and photosynthetic performance of plants. Seed biopriming was performed with four bacterial and four fungal isolates, and the results were compared to those of seeds treated with the commercial product Biomaphos®. Overall, microbial inoculation had a positive effect on biomass accumulation in G. max, especially in strains PA12 (Paenibacillus alvei), SC5 (Bacillus cereus), and SC15 (Penicillium sheari). The non-inoculated control plants accumulated less nutrients, both in the whole plant and aerial part, and had reduced chlorophyll index and low photosynthetic rate (A) and photochemical efficiency. Strains PA12 (P. alvei), SC5 (B. cereus), and 328EF (Codinaeopsis sp.) stood out in the optimization of nutrient concentration, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance. Plants inoculated with the bacterial strains PA12 (P. alvei) and SC5 (B. cereus) and with the fungal strains 328EF (Codinaeopsis sp.) and SC15 (P. sheari) showed the closest pattern to that observed in plants treated with Biomaphos®, with the same trend of direction of the means associated with chlorophyll index, (A), dry mass, and concentration of important nutrients such as N, P, and Mg. We recommend the use of these isolates in field tests to validate these strains for the production of biological inoculants as part of the portfolio of bioinputs available for G. max. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Biostimulants: From the Lab to the Field for a New Agriculture 2.0)
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17 pages, 6145 KiB  
Article
Endophytic PGPR from Tomato Roots: Isolation, In Vitro Characterization and In Vivo Evaluation of Treated Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.)
by Bastien Cochard, Basile Giroud, Julien Crovadore, Romain Chablais, Lucas Arminjon and François Lefort
Microorganisms 2022, 10(4), 765; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10040765 - 1 Apr 2022
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 5055
Abstract
Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are soil bacteria colonizing the rhizosphere and the rhizoplane which have an effect on plant growth through multiple chemical compounds. Rhizobacteria with beneficial effects for plants could therefore be used to reduce the dependence on synthetic chemical fertilizers in conventional [...] Read more.
Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are soil bacteria colonizing the rhizosphere and the rhizoplane which have an effect on plant growth through multiple chemical compounds. Rhizobacteria with beneficial effects for plants could therefore be used to reduce the dependence on synthetic chemical fertilizers in conventional agriculture. Within this study, 67 endophytic fungi and 49 bacteria were isolated from root samples from 3 different commercial productions: an off-ground tomato production in a greenhouse, an organic production and a conventional production, both in a soil tunnel. Following morphological selection, 12 fungal and 33 bacterial isolates were genetically identified. Thirteen bacterial isolates belonging to nine potential PGPR species were then applied to tomato seedlings established in sterile substrate. The ability of these bacteria to produce indole acetic acid (IAA) and solubilize phosphate was also evaluated. They all were IAA producers and solubilized phosphate. The most interesting strains for growth promotion were found to be the isolates Pseudomonas palleroniana B10, Bacillus subtilis B25, Bacillus aryabhattai B29 and Pseudomonas fluorescens B17. The isolates P. fluorescens B17, B. aryabhattai B29, B. subtilis B18 and Pseudomonas moraviensis B6 also increased root growth. This study proposed a quick protocol for isolating and testing potential endophytic PGPR that should be characterized further for the direct and indirect mechanisms of growth promotion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Biostimulants: From the Lab to the Field for a New Agriculture 2.0)
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24 pages, 2012 KiB  
Article
Effect of Rhizobacteria Inoculation via Soil and Seeds on Glycine max L. Plants Grown on Soils with Different Cropping History
by Denise Almeida Fonseca Fiuza, Luciana Cristina Vitorino, Edson Luiz Souchie, Moacir Ribeiro Neto, Layara Alexandre Bessa, Cintia Faria da Silva and Natasha Taline Trombela
Microorganisms 2022, 10(4), 691; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10040691 - 23 Mar 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2444
Abstract
Field experiments testing the effect of phosphate-solubilizing rhizobacteria (PSRB) should consider the cropping history and the method used to inoculate the strains. We evaluated the hypothesis that PSRB previously isolated from soybean seedlings could be effective in promoting growth in this oilseed crop [...] Read more.
Field experiments testing the effect of phosphate-solubilizing rhizobacteria (PSRB) should consider the cropping history and the method used to inoculate the strains. We evaluated the hypothesis that PSRB previously isolated from soybean seedlings could be effective in promoting growth in this oilseed crop in soils with different cultivation periods. We also evaluated whether this growth promotion could be influenced by cultivation histories or the inoculation method (via seeds or soil). Thus, we conducted an experiment in five fields cultivating Glycine max during two seasons (2019/2020 and 2020/2021), to test the effectiveness of PSRB (SAF9-Brevibacillus sp., SAF11-Brevibacillus sp., and SAC36-Bacillus velezensis) compared with results observed for the inoculant BiomaPhos (mix of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus megaterium). The present study was based on the evaluation of vegetative growth, nutritional and yield parameters, and microbial biomass carbon (MBC). PSRB were more effective than, or showed similar effectiveness to, BiomaPhos for most of the evaluated vegetative, nutritional, and yield characteristics. In the fields tested in the summer 2019/2020 crop, SAC36 and SAF9 strains stood out as growth promoters, whereas in the 2020/2021 crop, SAF11, SAC36, and BiomaPhos were notable. There did not seem to be a direct relationship between long histories of soybean cultivation as a monoculture and low yield in the field. However, yield seems to be associated with soil nutritional characters such as Ca, Mg, K, P, cation exchange capacity, and organic matter levels. PSRB inoculation positively affected nodulation (NN) and nodule dry mass (NDM) in the evaluated fields in the 2019/2020 crop, and the aerial part dry mass (APDM), NN, NDM, yield, and MBC of the evaluated fields in the 2020/2021 crop. In contrast, the inoculation method was observed to have a strong effect on APDM, NN, root dry mass, and MBC, as the plants inoculated via seed showed higher mean values than those in the plants inoculated via soil. This study demonstrated the growth-promoting potential of new phosphate-solubilizing strains, which may eventually be incorporated by the biostimulants market to freely compete with BiomaPhos. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Biostimulants: From the Lab to the Field for a New Agriculture 2.0)
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Review

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35 pages, 1329 KiB  
Review
Bioinoculants—Natural Biological Resources for Sustainable Plant Production
by Sagar Maitra, Marian Brestic, Preetha Bhadra, Tanmoy Shankar, Subhashisa Praharaj, Jnana Bharati Palai, M. Mostafizur Rahman Shah, Viliam Barek, Peter Ondrisik, Milan Skalický and Akbar Hossain
Microorganisms 2022, 10(1), 51; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10010051 - 27 Dec 2021
Cited by 37 | Viewed by 7052
Abstract
Agricultural sustainability is of foremost importance for maintaining high food production. Irresponsible resource use not only negatively affects agroecology, but also reduces the economic profitability of the production system. Among different resources, soil is one of the most vital resources of agriculture. Soil [...] Read more.
Agricultural sustainability is of foremost importance for maintaining high food production. Irresponsible resource use not only negatively affects agroecology, but also reduces the economic profitability of the production system. Among different resources, soil is one of the most vital resources of agriculture. Soil fertility is the key to achieve high crop productivity. Maintaining soil fertility and soil health requires conscious management effort to avoid excessive nutrient loss, sustain organic carbon content, and minimize soil contamination. Though the use of chemical fertilizers have successfully improved crop production, its integration with organic manures and other bioinoculants helps in improving nutrient use efficiency, improves soil health and to some extent ameliorates some of the constraints associated with excessive fertilizer application. In addition to nutrient supplementation, bioinoculants have other beneficial effects such as plant growth-promoting activity, nutrient mobilization and solubilization, soil decontamination and/or detoxification, etc. During the present time, high energy based chemical inputs also caused havoc to agriculture because of the ill effects of global warming and climate change. Under the consequences of climate change, the use of bioinputs may be considered as a suitable mitigation option. Bioinoculants, as a concept, is not something new to agricultural science, however; it is one of the areas where consistent innovations have been made. Understanding the role of bioinoculants, the scope of their use, and analysing their performance in various environments are key to the successful adaptation of this technology in agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Biostimulants: From the Lab to the Field for a New Agriculture 2.0)
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