About this Research Topic
As described previously, the microbiome plays a crucial role in the sustainability of plantation forest ecosystems. It is key to ecological processes affecting both plant health and productivity. In plantation forests where the microbial community is less diverse than that in natural forests, microbiome engineering should lead to a more resilient ecosystem able to better mitigate biotic and abiotic stresses due to disease, drought, nutrient limitation, etc. Plant-beneficial microbes actively compete with plant pathogens within the rhizosphere areas, impeding their growth. The microbiome could also enhance plant immunity through priming of plant defence. In addition to disease suppression, the beneficial soil microbes also contribute to plant nutrient uptake and promote tolerance against drought. By understanding these interactions, we can develop strategies for microbiome engineering to promote the sustainability of plantation forests. One such strategy is to utilize microbial inoculants, i.e. beneficial microorganisms conserved in or applied to the soil to improve soil health and tree growth.
This Research Topic aims to put together scientific knowledge and experience on the novel omics technologies exploring microbiomes in the context of the plantation forests' sustainable production. We welcome manuscripts focusing on novel microbiome engineering approaches utilizing plant-growth-promoting microbes in a broader sense, including biofertilizers, biostimulants, biocontrol agents, and saprotrophs in the following fields.
- Disease risk mitigation
- Increased drought stress tolerance
- Improved nutrient uptake efficiency
The expected manuscript types include perspectives, opinion papers, review papers, and original research articles on the topic of “Microbiome Engineering for Sustainable Industrial Plantation Forests.” Papers in this collection will provide the reader with a holistic overview of this new topic.
Keywords: Estate Forest, Microbe, Pathogen, PGPM, Productivity, Soil Health, Rhizomicrobiome
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.