About this Research Topic
The use of microorganisms as inoculants in agricultural activity is not a new approach. Beneficial bacteria have been isolated and studied since the early nineteenth century. Rhizobia inoculation is an example of how this strategy works and how it could be efficient to improve agriculture productivity by minimizing the environmental risks associated with the excessive use of mineral fertilizers and pesticides. In the face of new challenges, such as the impact of climate change in the entire agricultural system, specially in tropical areas, it is imperative to search for new strategies/methodologies to improve the use of microorganisms as inoculants.
Microbiome based technologies are an innovative idea to identify the functional properties of plant microbiome, which plays an important role in protection and productivity of plants under different environmental conditions. Hence, there is a need of culturing more and more microbes in order to develop indigenous and effective bio-inoculants, or consortia, which can improve agricultural productivity, nutritional quality and soil health.
With this Research Topic we aim to highlight new strategies to develop microbial inoculants, which can achieve high productivity while avoiding environmental damage. The Topic covers subjects such as the construction of synthetic microbial communities to improve plant productivity; the development of strategies to use Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) as inoculants; the development of microbial inoculants for dry and high salinity environmental conditions; and the search for new microbial inoculants that persist in the rhizosphere in addition to promoting plant growth. Strategies of co-inoculation of microorganisms will also be covered. Additionally, articles focused on non-traditional approaches, such as the use of bacteriophages to control plant-pathogens (“Phage therapy”); the use of chemical and genetic (e.g., plasmids) compounds to modulate in situ the microbiome associated with plants; and the growing potential of inoculation application in agriculture, are welcome.
In sum, this Research Topic includes, but is not limited to:
• Innovative strategies to improve the development of inoculants
− Applying concepts of microbial ecology to construct synthetic microbial communities
− Phage therapy
− Horizontal Gene Transfer
− AMF inoculants
− Bacterial co-inoculation
− Microbial consortium
− Phytomicrobiome
− Bioformulation of bio-inoculants
• The potential of the use of inoculants to mitigate the effects of climate change
Microbiome based technologies are an innovative idea to identify the functional properties of plant microbiome, which plays an important role in protection and productivity of plants under different environmental conditions. Hence, there is a need of culturing more and more microbes in order to develop indigenous and effective bio-inoculants, or consortia, which can improve agricultural productivity, nutritional quality and soil health.
With this Research Topic we aim to highlight new strategies to develop microbial inoculants, which can achieve high productivity while avoiding environmental damage. The Topic covers subjects such as the construction of synthetic microbial communities to improve plant productivity; the development of strategies to use Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) as inoculants; the development of microbial inoculants for dry and high salinity environmental conditions; and the search for new microbial inoculants that persist in the rhizosphere in addition to promoting plant growth. Strategies of co-inoculation of microorganisms will also be covered. Additionally, articles focused on non-traditional approaches, such as the use of bacteriophages to control plant-pathogens (“Phage therapy”); the use of chemical and genetic (e.g., plasmids) compounds to modulate in situ the microbiome associated with plants; and the growing potential of inoculation application in agriculture, are welcome.
In sum, this Research Topic includes, but is not limited to:
• Innovative strategies to improve the development of inoculants
− Applying concepts of microbial ecology to construct synthetic microbial communities
− Phage therapy
− Horizontal Gene Transfer
− AMF inoculants
− Bacterial co-inoculation
− Microbial consortium
− Phytomicrobiome
− Bioformulation of bio-inoculants
• The potential of the use of inoculants to mitigate the effects of climate change
Keywords: microbial inoculation, co-inoculation of microorganisms, microbial consortium, agriculture productivity, sustainable agriculture, trends in microbial inoculation
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
