Harnessing Microbiomes for Crop Immunity: Engineering Plant Resistance

The exploration of plant microbiomes offers a promising avenue for enhancing pathogen resistance in crops. This field focuses on the dynamic interactions between plant immune systems and their microbiomes, revealing potential strategies for agricultural innovation. The application of microbiome engineering is gaining traction as a sustainable approach to strengthen plants against diverse pathogens. Through omics technologies, researchers are identifying specific bacterial genera that serve as biocontrol agents or biomarkers for resistance, opening new frontiers in plant health management.

This Research Topic aims to deepen the scientific community's understanding of how plant microbiomes can be manipulated to improve pathogen resistance. The goal is to advance microbiome-based interventions that not only enhance plant health and productivity but also align with sustainable agricultural practices on a global scale. By investigating these complex interactions, the research could lead to groundbreaking developments in biocontrol and disease management strategies in crops.

To further this promising field, we invite contributions focusing on, but not limited to, the following themes:

1. Advances in omics technologies for microbiome profiling in crops

2. Efficacy of specific bacterial genera as biocontrol agents

3. Interactions between plant immune systems and microbiomes in disease resistance

4. Development of microbiome-based interventions for crop health

5. Impact of microbiome engineering on sustainable agriculture practices

6. Role of host plant metabolites on retention and perpetuation of beneficial microbes known for their role in stress tolerance

7. Vertical and horizontal transfer of microbiome related trait associated with disease resistance

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: microbiome engineering, plant immunity, pathogen resistance, molecular plant-microbe interactions, biocontrol agents

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.