Crop Mineral Nutrition Adaptation to Adverse Climate Change Conditions Mediated by Beneficial Microorganisms

Climate change is profoundly impacting agricultural productivity and plant resilience. Increasingly frequent droughts, heat waves, salinity and unpredictable rainfall patterns challenge the ability of crops to maintain growth, reproduction and yield. Recent advances in plant–microbe interactions have shown that beneficial microorganisms, such as Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR), mycorrhizal fungi, endophytes and others, can enhance the adaptability of plants and crops to these mineral nutrition stress conditions. These microorganisms can improve water and nutrient uptake, modulate hormonal responses and trigger systemic tolerance mechanisms, thereby contributing to sustainable agricultural practices in a changing climate.

Despite significant progress, much remains to be understood regarding the mechanisms and consistency of microbe-mediated plant adaptation under real environmental conditions. Most experimental evidence still comes from controlled conditions, while field validation and the development of robust microbial consortia tailored to specific climates and crops remain ongoing challenges.

This Research Topic aims to gather recent findings and novel perspectives on the role of beneficial microorganisms in improving plant mineral nutrition and crop adaptation to abiotic stress derived from climate change. We welcome contributions that deepen our understanding of the microbial traits and plant responses involved, as well as applied strategies for the use of microbial inoculants in agriculture.

We particularly welcome manuscripts dealing with the following topics:

• Identification and characterization of beneficial microbes that confer tolerance to drought, salinity, heat, or other abiotic stresses on crops mineral nutrition.

• Molecular and physiological mechanisms by which microorganisms enhance stress resilience in plants.

• Cross-talk between microbial signaling and plant stress hormone pathways (e.g., ABA, ethylene, JA, SA).

• Application methods and formulation strategies for microbial inoculants under field conditions.

• Microbial consortia and their synergistic effects on plant adaptation to climate-related stress.

• Case studies or field trials demonstrating effective use of microbes in improving crop resilience.

All types of contributions are welcome, including Original Research Articles, Mini Reviews, Methods, Perspectives, Hypotheses and Theories, and Opinion Articles.

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
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... 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
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Plant-Microbe Interactions, Beneficial Microorganisms, Climate Change, Microbial Consortia, Crop Resilience

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.