About this Research Topic

Background

There is a general recognition that intensive agricultural systems are highly energy-dependent and extremely vulnerable to pest outbreaks and climatic variability. The worldwide trend in reducing chemical fertilizers and plant protection products is generating a growing interest in environmentally friendly agricultural practices. These strategies include innovative crop management practices by using different living mulching technologies, which enhance pollinators and other beneficial insects' occurrence and activity, by implementing agricultural practices such as crop rotation and intercropping, and by applying microbial-based products. Using biofertilizers, natural substances and microorganisms as plant biostimulants, resistance inducers and biocontrol agents is becoming increasingly popular. In this framework, which encompasses scientific and regulatory aspects, monitoring the impact on bulk and rhizosphere microorganisms and on soil and plant health becomes paramount, mainly to ensure a correct environmental and human health risk assessment. It is noteworthy that different methods can be used to evaluate the impacts of agricultural practices on soil beneficial microorganisms and health, including molecular tools.

The effort expressed in assessing the visible effect of these strategies on plant yield and health status, as well as their economic aspect to the farmers, continue to yield. Less attention is being paid to the indirect effects, like microbial diversity and activity changes, which are also important indicators of ecological equilibrium. Microorganisms inhabiting soil play a pivotal role in ecosystem service provisioning, such as the decomposition of organic matter and nutrient cycling. Moreover, the beneficial microbes could suppress pests and diseases or interact directly with plants to improve their tolerance to various stress conditions. In contrast, the harmful ones could act as disease agents or competitors for nutrient resources.
There have been few experimental studies on this crucial task, and there is little knowledge on the effects that the biofertilizers or the introduction of species as bioinoculants in the soil might have on agroecosystems over time.

Extending the scientific knowledge in this field, using the recent advances in sequencing technologies and bioinformatics tools, together with other molecular and microbiological methods, could shed more light on the soil beneficial microorganism’s potential and plasticity and its interactions with other elements of the agricultural ecosystem.

For this Research Topic, we encourage submissions of Original Research and Review articles responding to the following challenges:
• Can we develop better methodological approaches to assess the impact of environmentally friendly practices (crop rotation, application of biofertilizers, biostimulants, microbial consortia...) on soil beneficial microorganisms and health?
• Can we develop better methodological approaches to validate and guide the use of bioinoculants or biofertilizers or biostimulants for improving soil health?
• To what does extent the changes observed affect soil ecosystem functioning?
• The effects of non-conventional agricultural practices might change over time: to what extent should we evaluate the impact?
• Which are the desired and undesired effects on crops health and soil quality?

Please note that papers that rely solely or primarily on pattern searches and correlations between nucleic acid sequence data sets (e.g., 16S rRNA gene sequence libraries, “metagenomes”, “metatranscriptomes” etc.) and selected environmental parameters will not be accepted for review.

The Topic Editors of this Research Topic are also collaborating on the Excalibur project, which aims to enhance the efficacy of microbial biostimulants capable of improving crop efficiency or the availability of the nutrients already in the soil by stimulating the native soil biodiversity, thus reducing the use of chemical inputs towards a more sustainable agriculture, aligned with the goals of the Common Agricultural Policy, the EU Green Deal, and the Farm to Fork Strategy.

More information can be found at the following website:
excaliburh2020.eu/en/

Conflict of interest: Dr. Massimo Pugliese declares he has a relationship (shareholder) with the private company AgriNewTech srl which is a startup from University of Torino.

Keywords: bioinoculants, sustainable agriculture, organic farming, soil management, soil quality, biopesticides, biostimulants, biological control agents, biofertilizer, bioinoculant, NGS

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.

Frequently asked questions

• What is a Research Topic?

  Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

  Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

• Why does Frontiers publish Research Topics? 

  The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

  Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

• Why are Research Topics important for journals?

  As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

  A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

• How do we ensure the quality of articles within Research Topics?

  Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and it falls under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

  In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

• What are the benefits of publishing my article in a Research Topic?

  Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

  As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

  Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

   
• What types of articles can be published in a Research Topic?

  Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

  Check available article types here 

• Can I suggest a new Research Topic? 

  Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

  Suggest your topic here 

• Who leads a Research Topic? 

  A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

  The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

• What is the role of a topic editor?

  As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

   

  You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

• What support will I receive when editing a new Research Topic? 

  As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

• As a junior researcher, can I be involved in editing a Research Topic? 

  If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

• Can I get a certificate for editing a Research Topic?

  Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

• Who will I collaborate with?

  Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

• How long does it take to publish a Research Topic?

  As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

  Find out more about our Research Topics

• What fee support is available to authors publishing in a Research Topic?

  Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

  Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

• Will there be a printed version of my Research Topic?

  In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.