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Agronomy
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Role of Plant Growth-Promoting Microbes in Agriculture—2nd Edition
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Role of Plant Growth-Promoting Microbes in Agriculture—2nd Edition

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Agroecology Innovation: Achieving System Resilience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2025 | Viewed by 3398

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Luciano Kayser Vargas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Research and Diagnosis, Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Sustainable Production and Irrigation of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Interests: soil microbiology and biochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Marco Antonio Nogueira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Soil Biotechnology Laboratory, Embrapa Soja, C.P. 4006, Londrina 86001-970, Paraná, Brazil
Interests: soil microbiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

By the end of the 1970s, the term plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) was coined to designate rhizosphere-isolated pseudomonads that, following seed inoculation, rapidly colonized plant roots and increased crop yield. The concept was adopted and developed by several researchers and, more recently, it was extended to any bacteria (PGPB) or any microorganism (PGPM) exhibiting plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits, such as nitrogen fixation, phosphate and potassium solubilization, the production of siderophores, indolic compounds, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase or that lessen or prevent the deleterious effects of one phytopathogenic organism, and that is effective in benefiting plants. In addition to the formulation of conventional inoculants, studies with PGPM are evolving to the construction of synthetic communities, an approach that can be linked to metagenomic analysis, in order to identify the keystone taxa of soil microbiome and interfere in it to improve plant growth.

Previously, we successfully published a Special Issue on “Role of Plant Growth-Promoting Microbes in Agriculture” and received several papers from all over the world. We now therefore propose a “Volume II” of the same topic for a broader range of applications. This Special Issue welcomes all types of articles focusing on PGPM, including original research and reviews.

Dr. Luciano Kayser Vargas
Prof. Dr. Marco Antonio Nogueira
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • plant-growth promotion
  • microbial ecology
  • nitrogen fixation
  • biocontrol
  • nutrient solubilization
  • synthetic communities

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2825 KiB  
Article
Screening and Evaluation of Actinomycetes B-35 from Rhizosphere of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge and Its Biocontrol and Growth-Promoting Effects
by Mingli Han, Jing Wang, Hang Lin, Chen Yang, Jing Zhang, Jiawei Liu, Guojun Pan and Na Xiao
Agronomy 2025, 15(1), 102; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15010102 - 1 Jan 2025
Viewed by 477
Abstract
Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (S. miltiorrhiza) is one of the most commonly used bulk herbs in China; however, root rot can seriously affect its quality and yields. To minimize the use of chemical pesticides for managing this plant fungal disease, biological control utilizing [...] Read more.
Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (S. miltiorrhiza) is one of the most commonly used bulk herbs in China; however, root rot can seriously affect its quality and yields. To minimize the use of chemical pesticides for managing this plant fungal disease, biological control utilizing microbial bio-pesticides offers a promising alternative. This study aimed to enhance the biocontrol resources available for combating S. miltiorrhiza root rot by isolating actinomycetes with antifungal activity from the rhizosphere soil of S. miltiorrhiza and identifying biocontrol actinomycetes with a preventive effect on root rot. A total of 35 actinomycetes were successfully screened from the rhizosphere soil of S. miltiorrhizae. The strain B-35 with the strongest antifungal activity was screened out through antagonizing the pathogen Fusarium solani of S. miltiorrhiza, strain morphology and 16S rRNA analysis. The antagonistic actinomycetes fermentation filtrate and crude extract could significantly destroy the mycelium and spores of Fusarium solani; the biocontrol effect of mature S. miltiorrhiza rhizome reached 83.3%, and the number of leaves, plant height and biomass in the B-35 treatment group were significantly increased compared with the control group. B-35 has a certain application potential in the biological control of root rot and the promotion of S. miltiorrhizae. The antifungal activity of actinomycetes sourced from the rhizosphere soil of S. miltiorrhiza has been demonstrated for the first time, potentially enhancing future crop quality and production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Plant Growth-Promoting Microbes in Agriculture—2nd Edition)
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16 pages, 5266 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Plant Growth Through Composite Inoculation of Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria: Insights from Plate and Soil Experiments
by Mengsha Li, Xinjing Li, Daosheng Xue, Chengjiang Bao, Keying Zhang, Lili Chen, Qiuping Li and Rui Guo
Agronomy 2024, 14(11), 2461; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14112461 - 22 Oct 2024
Viewed by 816
Abstract
Excessive application of phosphorus (P) fertilizers does not alleviate P deficiency in soils and may cause water eutrophication. The available P in acidic soils is bound to minerals, such as iron and aluminum, in forms that are difficult to utilize by plants. The [...] Read more.
Excessive application of phosphorus (P) fertilizers does not alleviate P deficiency in soils and may cause water eutrophication. The available P in acidic soils is bound to minerals, such as iron and aluminum, in forms that are difficult to utilize by plants. The low availability of P is detrimental to soil health and crop growth. To address the P imbalance in the soil, different bioremediation techniques, such as phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) application, have been employed. However, the systematic analysis of the effects of composite inoculation of PSB on crops remains elusive. In this study, the effects of composite-inoculated PSB on plant growth were systematically evaluated by two scales: plate experiment and soil test. This study employed six different strains of PSB including Lelliottia amnigena 1-1 (A), Kluyvera intermedia 1-2 (B), Pseudomonas tolaasii 1-6 (C), Burkholderia cepacia 2-5 (D), Pseudomonas frederiksbergensis 2-11 (E), and Pseudomonas rhodesiae 2-47 (F). Among the 57 different combinations of these strains, four combinations (AE, AF, ADF, and AEF) indicated higher phosphate-solubilizing abilities than the single strains. These combinations were used for subsequent experiments. The plate experiment revealed that composite strains were more effective than single strains in promoting the growth and development of seedlings and roots of oilseed rape. Furthermore, AE, AF, and AEF combinations indicated excellent growth-promoting effects. Moreover, the soil test revealed that the composite inoculation of AE and AEF significantly enhanced biomass accumulation and root development in oilseed rape. The increased growth-promoting effects of the composite strains were observed to be associated with to their phosphate-solubilizing capacities. Both scales confirmed that compared to single inoculation, composite inoculation of PSB is more beneficial for plant growth. This study provides composite inoculation materials and foundational data to support the bioremediation of P imbalance in soil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Plant Growth-Promoting Microbes in Agriculture—2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 4486 KiB  
Article
Antagonistic and Plant Growth-Promoting Properties of Streptomyces F2 Isolated from Vineyard Soil
by Shengnan Li, Weiqu Liang, Hao Huang, Hao Wu, Huajian Luo, Jianqiang Mo, Zhixiang Zhang and Shan Hu
Agronomy 2024, 14(7), 1489; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14071489 - 9 Jul 2024
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Abstract
Streptomyces can produce secondary metabolites with a wide range of activities and is often used in agriculture as a biocontrol strain to control soil-borne diseases. Screening and isolation from infected soil is an effective method to obtain active strains. In this study, the [...] Read more.
Streptomyces can produce secondary metabolites with a wide range of activities and is often used in agriculture as a biocontrol strain to control soil-borne diseases. Screening and isolation from infected soil is an effective method to obtain active strains. In this study, the best antagonistic inter-root growth-promoting bacteria were isolated from grapevine inter-root soil samples, and strain F2 was identified as Streptomyces sp. based on morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics as well as 16S rDNA sequencing results. The results showed that the fermentation broth/liquid and sterile filtrate of strain F2 exhibited antagonistic effects against 10 plant pathogens, with an inhibition rate reaching up to 80%. Notably, two of them exhibited remarkable inhibitory effects against Phytophthora capsici with inhibition rates of 80.58% and 87.71%, respectively. The P. capsici leaf control experiment revealed that the control effect of strain F2 fermentation liquid on P. capsici filaments was 61.09%. Furthermore, indoor pot experiments demonstrated that the fermentation liquid of strain F2 had a significant inhibitory effect on pepper blight, with a maximum inhibition of 83.31%. Antagonistic factor analysis indicated that strain F2 had specific organophosphorus hydrolysis, nitrogen fixation, extracellular protease secretion, and IAA production capabilities. Additionally, root treatment with strain F2’s fermentation liquid significantly enhanced capsicum growth. Taking together, Streptomyces F2 not only exhibits a wide-spectrum antagonistic effect against plant pathogens but also promotes plant growth, which suggests that Streptomyces F2 can be used as an effective biological control resource and provides important theoretical support for the application of Streptomyces F2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Plant Growth-Promoting Microbes in Agriculture—2nd Edition)
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Review

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17 pages, 1151 KiB  
Review
Fungal Phytases as Useful Tools in Agricultural Practices
by Yana Gocheva, Galina Stoyancheva, Jeny Miteva-Staleva, Radoslav Abrashev, Vladislava Dishliyska, Lyudmila Yovchevska, Maria Angelova and Ekaterina Krumova
Agronomy 2024, 14(12), 3029; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14123029 - 19 Dec 2024
Viewed by 554
Abstract
In order to meet the ever-growing needs of society, modern agriculture must develop sustainable farming and livestock production. Crops need phosphorus, a macronutrient found in soils, but they are only able to utilize small quantities of it. Chemical phosphate fertilizers are ineffective and [...] Read more.
In order to meet the ever-growing needs of society, modern agriculture must develop sustainable farming and livestock production. Crops need phosphorus, a macronutrient found in soils, but they are only able to utilize small quantities of it. Chemical phosphate fertilizers are ineffective and environmentally harmful. The use of microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, filamentous fungi, and microalgae) that synthesize phytases is a promising and environmentally friendly alternative to chemical fertilizers. Phytases are also needed as feed additives in animal husbandry to overcome phosphorus deficiency for animal growth and development. Phytases are phosphatases that catalyze the release of phosphorus from phytate by stepwise hydrolysis. The broad substrate specificity, optimal pH range, higher thermal stability, and specific efficiency of fungal phytases make them interesting enzymes for agricultural applications. They improve and stimulate the growth and development of plants and animals by releasing inorganic phosphorus and producing siderophores, organic acids, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, and phytohormones. Phytases are crucial for enhancing phosphorus use in farming and decreasing phosphorus waste’s environmental effects. This paper addresses key challenges in modern farming, such as the inefficient utilization of phosphorus from soil and the environmental harm caused by chemical fertilizers, and provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in the research of fungal phytases. Available scientific data have been synthesized to highlight the potential of phytase use in agriculture. This review outlines key areas for future research, including the development of phytase variants with improved functionality. The potential integration of fungal phytases into sustainable agricultural practices is underlined, in contrast to previously published work focused primarily on their biochemical properties. The review offers new insight into the possible applications of micromycete phytases as a critical factor for sustainable agriculture in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Plant Growth-Promoting Microbes in Agriculture—2nd Edition)
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