Soil biota consists of an incredible diversity of organisms, including microorganisms, soil animals, and plants that live entirely or partially in or on the soil or pedosphere.
Despite the fact that there are millions of soil organism species, only a small fraction of them have been cultured and identified. In recent years, there has been an increased research focus on the influence of soil organisms on crop health in order to dissect the relationships between biota diversity and key crop phenotypic traits (such as disease resistance and growth promotion) under a rapidly changing climate.
When developing crop management strategies based on improving soil biota-plant interactions, it is critical to consider the farming system, plant genotype, as well as crop association. Understanding how these components can aid in the optimization of soil biota-plant interactions is crucial for crop improvement in a changing climate.
Soil biota, the primary determinant of resource efficiency in agriculture, has been shown to improve agricultural sustainability in a variety of ways, including by boosting crop output and nutrient uptake while reducing nitrogen leaching losses. However, reports on the interactions between soil biota and plants in assisting the development of crop management strategies are generally still lacking. Here, we propose a Research Topic that focuses on recent advances and research on soil biota and crops, particularly those that have the potential to be employed as climate-smart crops (such as ancient grains and high-protein legumes).
Submissions of original research and (mini) review manuscripts on the following themes are encouraged:
- Molecular analysis of soil biota-plant interactions, particularly climate-resilient crops
- Evaluating how and to what extent soil biota communities can contribute to agricultural sustainability
- Determining the role of soil biota-plant interactions in the regulation of ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling
Soil biota consists of an incredible diversity of organisms, including microorganisms, soil animals, and plants that live entirely or partially in or on the soil or pedosphere.
Despite the fact that there are millions of soil organism species, only a small fraction of them have been cultured and identified. In recent years, there has been an increased research focus on the influence of soil organisms on crop health in order to dissect the relationships between biota diversity and key crop phenotypic traits (such as disease resistance and growth promotion) under a rapidly changing climate.
When developing crop management strategies based on improving soil biota-plant interactions, it is critical to consider the farming system, plant genotype, as well as crop association. Understanding how these components can aid in the optimization of soil biota-plant interactions is crucial for crop improvement in a changing climate.
Soil biota, the primary determinant of resource efficiency in agriculture, has been shown to improve agricultural sustainability in a variety of ways, including by boosting crop output and nutrient uptake while reducing nitrogen leaching losses. However, reports on the interactions between soil biota and plants in assisting the development of crop management strategies are generally still lacking. Here, we propose a Research Topic that focuses on recent advances and research on soil biota and crops, particularly those that have the potential to be employed as climate-smart crops (such as ancient grains and high-protein legumes).
Submissions of original research and (mini) review manuscripts on the following themes are encouraged:
- Molecular analysis of soil biota-plant interactions, particularly climate-resilient crops
- Evaluating how and to what extent soil biota communities can contribute to agricultural sustainability
- Determining the role of soil biota-plant interactions in the regulation of ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling