Plants are higher organisms that interact with a variety of microorganisms, both inside and outside them, in the natural and agricultural environment. The outcome of these symbiotic interactions can profoundly affect the health and survival of the plant, as negative interactions can result in diseases, while beneficial ones can contribute to increased growth and mitigation of stresses. These mechanisms have been researched for their applications in the fields of biocontrol, biostimulation, and biofertilization to harness the potential of plant-microbe interaction to the benefit of agricultural production. These studies revealed the key role of both plant and microorganism in achieving these results: even the best-performing microorganism or consortium of microorganisms cannot have an effect if it is not compatible with the host plant and its native microbiome.
For many years researchers in different fields have studied plant genetics, agricultural microbiology, and metagenomics. The recent evidence for the interaction between these factors is driving towards interdisciplinary approaches that study how the plant genome influences the recruitment of the microbiome and how the introduction of beneficial or pathogenic symbiotic microorganisms interferes with this process.
Studies that dissect the relevance of plant genome in its interaction with the microorganisms around it, how the microbiota can be harnessed for the benefit of agriculture and the environment, and how microbial inoculums can be best employed for sustainable agricultural production will be essential to achieve the goals of food security, food safety, and sustainability of production that agriculture is currently facing.
We invite authors to submit original research or review manuscripts on the following themes:
• Characterizing the genetic elements that underlie microbiome recruitment and composition, and their effect on agronomically-relevant traits and/or stress resistance;
• Comparing microbiome composition and function across related plant species and varieties, and their link to agronomical traits;
• Comparing the effects of microbial inoculants, such as plant-growth promoters or biocontrol agents, in different plant hosts;
• Determining the interaction between pathogens or microbial inoculants and the plant-associated microbiome;
• Describing spatial and temporal development of plant microbiome, in relation with plant host genetic elements and/or gene expression patterns;
• Characterizing genetic and metagenomic drivers in determining the outcome of plant-microbe interaction, with a particular focus on interaction with pathogenic or beneficial symbiotic microbes.
Plants are higher organisms that interact with a variety of microorganisms, both inside and outside them, in the natural and agricultural environment. The outcome of these symbiotic interactions can profoundly affect the health and survival of the plant, as negative interactions can result in diseases, while beneficial ones can contribute to increased growth and mitigation of stresses. These mechanisms have been researched for their applications in the fields of biocontrol, biostimulation, and biofertilization to harness the potential of plant-microbe interaction to the benefit of agricultural production. These studies revealed the key role of both plant and microorganism in achieving these results: even the best-performing microorganism or consortium of microorganisms cannot have an effect if it is not compatible with the host plant and its native microbiome.
For many years researchers in different fields have studied plant genetics, agricultural microbiology, and metagenomics. The recent evidence for the interaction between these factors is driving towards interdisciplinary approaches that study how the plant genome influences the recruitment of the microbiome and how the introduction of beneficial or pathogenic symbiotic microorganisms interferes with this process.
Studies that dissect the relevance of plant genome in its interaction with the microorganisms around it, how the microbiota can be harnessed for the benefit of agriculture and the environment, and how microbial inoculums can be best employed for sustainable agricultural production will be essential to achieve the goals of food security, food safety, and sustainability of production that agriculture is currently facing.
We invite authors to submit original research or review manuscripts on the following themes:
• Characterizing the genetic elements that underlie microbiome recruitment and composition, and their effect on agronomically-relevant traits and/or stress resistance;
• Comparing microbiome composition and function across related plant species and varieties, and their link to agronomical traits;
• Comparing the effects of microbial inoculants, such as plant-growth promoters or biocontrol agents, in different plant hosts;
• Determining the interaction between pathogens or microbial inoculants and the plant-associated microbiome;
• Describing spatial and temporal development of plant microbiome, in relation with plant host genetic elements and/or gene expression patterns;
• Characterizing genetic and metagenomic drivers in determining the outcome of plant-microbe interaction, with a particular focus on interaction with pathogenic or beneficial symbiotic microbes.
