About this Research Topic
Food security has become a major concern worldwide in recent years as the world's population has continued to rise. In the current scenario, providing food for the growing billions while maintaining environmental balance is an ongoing requirement. Plant diseases caused by infectious pathogens have significantly impacted human society and nature throughout history, causing damage to food production, economic development, ecological resilience, and natural landscapes. Plant diseases can occur throughout the crop production chain and continue to be one of the most serious threats to society's long-term development, resulting in a 13-22 per cent annual yield loss as well as additional costs spent on education and the development of management strategies. Moreover, rising resistance and modern environmental health hazards (MEHHs) as public health issues resulting from pesticide exposure and residue are major concerns. Biological disease control appears to be the best non-chemical disease management method for organic and sustainable farming. Various biocontrol strategies have been tested over time; some have shown significant success and promise. Thus, biological control research for plant disease management requires time for the global agro-food sector to achieve sustainable development goals. As a result, the emphasis here is on rhizosphere beneficial microbes and their stimulation in relation to host-plant-pathogen interactions, as well as its role in facilitating induced systemic resistance and systemic-acquired resistance against diseases. To ensure food safety, the mechanism of action of plant beneficial microbes must be further developed.
In this context, we propose a Research Topic consisting of research articles and reviews that will provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of plant beneficial microbes as well as the effective use of eco-friendly plant disease management in crops. This issue will bring together the most recent research on bio-control agents, beneficial rhizosphere microflora, modes of action, and interactions between beneficial and harmful microorganisms. Eminent plant agronomists/ pathologists/ biologists with extensive experience teaching and researching various crops with various types of diseases that cause significant economic losses will contribute to the topic. Students, teachers, researchers, and, most importantly, crop stakeholders and growers would benefit greatly from the collection. This will make it easier to investigate powerful biocontrol agents, and their combined impact on plant biotic stress will be crucial.
The following (but not limited to) topics will be covered:
• Current status of biological control agents in plant disease management and future challenges.
• Emerging and potentially useful biocontrol agents for plant disease management.
• The role of microorganisms in accelerating pathogen-induced systemic resistance (ISR).
• How do plants interact with beneficial microorganisms while restricting pathogens?
• The role of soil microbes and endophytes in plant defense mechanisms.
• The antagonistic microorganisms and their effectiveness in plant disease management
• The status of beneficial microorganisms and microbial metabolites utilization.
• How can microorganisms help to improve the eco-friendliness of soil?
• Soil antagonistic microorganism genetic diversity and evolution.
• The current state of commercialization of beneficial microorganisms.
• Plants and microbes in the rhizosphere have an antagonistic relationship.
• Synergistic effects of natural and modified rhizospheric microbes against plant pathogens.
• How to improve the efficacy of beneficial microorganisms and their application.
In this context, we propose a Research Topic consisting of research articles and reviews that will provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of plant beneficial microbes as well as the effective use of eco-friendly plant disease management in crops. This issue will bring together the most recent research on bio-control agents, beneficial rhizosphere microflora, modes of action, and interactions between beneficial and harmful microorganisms. Eminent plant agronomists/ pathologists/ biologists with extensive experience teaching and researching various crops with various types of diseases that cause significant economic losses will contribute to the topic. Students, teachers, researchers, and, most importantly, crop stakeholders and growers would benefit greatly from the collection. This will make it easier to investigate powerful biocontrol agents, and their combined impact on plant biotic stress will be crucial.
The following (but not limited to) topics will be covered:
• Current status of biological control agents in plant disease management and future challenges.
• Emerging and potentially useful biocontrol agents for plant disease management.
• The role of microorganisms in accelerating pathogen-induced systemic resistance (ISR).
• How do plants interact with beneficial microorganisms while restricting pathogens?
• The role of soil microbes and endophytes in plant defense mechanisms.
• The antagonistic microorganisms and their effectiveness in plant disease management
• The status of beneficial microorganisms and microbial metabolites utilization.
• How can microorganisms help to improve the eco-friendliness of soil?
• Soil antagonistic microorganism genetic diversity and evolution.
• The current state of commercialization of beneficial microorganisms.
• Plants and microbes in the rhizosphere have an antagonistic relationship.
• Synergistic effects of natural and modified rhizospheric microbes against plant pathogens.
• How to improve the efficacy of beneficial microorganisms and their application.
Keywords: Plant Disease, Plant Pathogen, Eco-friendly, Disease Management, Non-Chemical, Biocontrol
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.
