Plant-Growth-Promoting Microbes Modulating Plant–Insect–Virus Interactions

Dear Colleagues,

Plant-growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) play a crucial role in modulating ecosystem interactions among host plants, insects and pathogens. Published research articles have emphasized the crucial role of PGPMs in boosting plant resilience against herbivore insects and pathogens by inducing plant defense responses and nutritional quality. In contrast, herbivores alongside pathogens counteract these PGPM-induced benefits in plants. For example, plant-associated beneficial soil bacteria, called rhizobia, can promote tolerance to biotic stressors by decreasing herbivore abundance or damage caused by them, and can promote pathogen titers on host plants by inducing both anti-pathogen and anti-herbivore defensive molecules. In addition, rhizobia improve nutritional uptake in leguminous plants. On the contrary, both pests and pathogens interfere with these rhizobium-induced benefits by reducing the nodule numbers, biomass, and root and shoot weights, and by decreasing the expressions of the genes that are involved in nodule development, suggesting inhibition of nitrogen fixation. Therefore, reciprocal plant-mediated interactions among PGPMs and biotic stressors affect the plant’s susceptibility to them and affect nutrient uptake by herbivore insects. Similarly, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and other symbiotic fungi can improve plant nutritional absorption and induce defense responses against biotic stressors.  In several studies, the stress tolerance modulation of different host plants by such fungi have been reported. This Special Issue covers a broad area, describing how various beneficial plant-associated microbes, the soil microbiome, the below- and aboveground insect-gut microbiome, and insect-associated microbes play a crucial role in modulating plant–insect–virus interactions. Additionally, it will focus on how these research studies can be used to develop sustainable, effective, and eco-friendly pest and pathogen management strategies. We will also consider studies on microbial biopesticides or biocontrol agents and their role in controlling major agricultural and pollinator pests. Please consider submitting your research articles and/or reviews to this Special Issue.     

Dr. Saumik Basu
Guest Editor

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. Microorganisms 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 2700 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.

• plant-growth-promoting microbes
• pathogens
• herbivores
• defense responses
• plant nutrition
• rhizobia
• AMF
• secondary metabolites
• transcriptomics
• metabolomics