The agricultural industry is primarily driven by the fast growth of the population and the subsequent need to supply sufficient food globally. It is estimated that the global population will expand from 7.5 billion to about 9 billion in 2050 and crop production needs to double in order to supply enough food for all people by 2050. Moreover, the climate change and the intensification of areas of infertile and unproductive soil create new and additional difficulties.
It is urgent and of utter importance to find alternative practices to the traditional ones (based on the indiscriminate use of various synthetic chemicals, e.g. fertilizers and pesticides), which are mainly used nowadays, to overcome current and future agricultural challenges in a natural, more efficient and sustainable way. Recent regulations (EU 1009/2019 and Farm Bill in EU and USA, respectively) promote the adoption of biostimulants in agriculture and open the market for new and innovative solutions. This regulation is a major step forward that should encourage the scientific community, in strict interaction with the industry, in the continuous development of new bio-based solutions for modern agriculture.
Taking into account the subject addressed in this Research Topic, we enthusiastically encourage the submission of research and review papers focused on the:
- Development of bio-based alternative products of microbial and non-microbial origin (such as those related to biofertilizers, biostimulants, or biocontrol) that positively influence the plant physiological functions, such as growth and yield, improving crop quality and nutritional value, disease resistance, and resilience to environmental stressors.
- Advancement of knowledge regarding the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms underlying the development and improvement of bio-based products.
The agricultural industry is primarily driven by the fast growth of the population and the subsequent need to supply sufficient food globally. It is estimated that the global population will expand from 7.5 billion to about 9 billion in 2050 and crop production needs to double in order to supply enough food for all people by 2050. Moreover, the climate change and the intensification of areas of infertile and unproductive soil create new and additional difficulties.
It is urgent and of utter importance to find alternative practices to the traditional ones (based on the indiscriminate use of various synthetic chemicals, e.g. fertilizers and pesticides), which are mainly used nowadays, to overcome current and future agricultural challenges in a natural, more efficient and sustainable way. Recent regulations (EU 1009/2019 and Farm Bill in EU and USA, respectively) promote the adoption of biostimulants in agriculture and open the market for new and innovative solutions. This regulation is a major step forward that should encourage the scientific community, in strict interaction with the industry, in the continuous development of new bio-based solutions for modern agriculture.
Taking into account the subject addressed in this Research Topic, we enthusiastically encourage the submission of research and review papers focused on the:
- Development of bio-based alternative products of microbial and non-microbial origin (such as those related to biofertilizers, biostimulants, or biocontrol) that positively influence the plant physiological functions, such as growth and yield, improving crop quality and nutritional value, disease resistance, and resilience to environmental stressors.
- Advancement of knowledge regarding the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms underlying the development and improvement of bio-based products.
