Unleashing the potential of microbes towards sustainable agriculture and food security

Microbial applications play a crucial role in sustainable agriculture and food security by addressing challenges such as climate change, soil degradation, and the increasing global population. This research topic emphasizes the integration of microbial ecology, genomics, and biotechnology to enhance soil health, boost crop productivity, and decrease reliance on chemical inputs. Recent advancements in microbial genomics, metagenomics, and bioinformatics have revolutionized our understanding of the vital functions microbes perform in agricultural systems, including nutrient cycling, pest control, disease resistance, and climate resilience. By utilizing genomic insights, researchers can harness the full potential of microbes to optimize farming techniques and contribute to food security. This research field combines traditional agricultural methods with state-of-the-art genomic and functional analyses to explore the diverse applications of microbes in sustainable farming. Manuscripts are encouraged in areas such as microbial-based soil enhancements, biofertilizers, biocontrol agents, soil remediation, whole genome sequencing of beneficial microbes, comparative genomics, microbial gene functions, and ecosystem interactions will be explored to comprehend how microbial communities support agricultural sustainability. The goal is to bridge the gap between microbial diversity and their functional roles, providing innovative solutions to enhance food security, minimize environmental impacts, and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

Microbial ecology and its interactions with plants play a major role in sustainable agriculture and in improving food security by enhancing soil health, increasing crop productivity, and reducing reliance on synthetic chemicals. Recent advancements in computational biology, molecular biology, and biochemistry provide new opportunities to understand the functions of microbes and the subsequent translation of knowledge in agricultural systems. This research topic aims to investigate the current status and future prospects of using microbes for sustainable farming, deploying information from microbial diversity analysis, functional genomics, and ecological assessments. The objectives include evaluating the use of microbes to enhance agricultural productivity, leveraging genomics to improve microbial functions and resilience, integrating microbial ecology with sustainable farming practices, and addressing challenges while proposing future research directions in the field.

This research topic will focus on the role of microbes in sustainable agriculture and food security by combining microbial ecology, genomics, and applied microbiology. The topic mainly focuses on how microbial communities, soil microbiomes, and microbial genomics can enhance soil health, increase crop yield, and control pests without relying on synthetic chemicals. The study will also explore the use of microbes for soil remediation, climate-resilient agriculture, and sustainable farming practices, with a focus on microbial biotechnology and comparative genomics. By connecting genomic data to microbial functions, the research topic aims to deepen our understanding of how microbes contribute to nutrient cycling, plant growth, and disease resistance. The topic will focus on how microbial-based solutions can improve food security by boosting agricultural productivity, reducing losses, and increasing resilience to environmental challenges. By addressing the current obstacles and future prospects of microbial applications in agriculture, this research topic will bridge the gap between microbial diversity, functional genomics, and their practical applications in managing agroecosystems, ultimately supporting sustainable food production systems and enhancing global food security.

This research topic will focus on the role of microbes in sustainable agriculture and food security by combining microbial ecology, genomics, and applied microbiology. The topic mainly focuses on :

• How microbial communities, soil microbiomes, and microbial genomics can enhance soil health, increase crop yield, and control pests without relying on synthetic chemicals.
• The use of microbes for soil remediation, climate-resilient agriculture, and sustainable farming practices, with a focus on microbial biotechnology and comparative genomics.
• Connecting genomic data to microbial functions to deepen our understanding of how microbes contribute to nutrient cycling, plant growth, and disease resistance.
• How microbial-based solutions can improve food security by boosting agricultural productivity, reducing losses, and increasing resilience to environmental challenges.

By addressing the current obstacles and future prospects of microbial applications in agriculture, this research topic will bridge the gap between microbial diversity, functional genomics, and their practical applications in managing agroecosystems, ultimately supporting sustainable food production systems and enhancing global food security.

Article types and fees

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

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... 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
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Food security, Microbial Ecology, Environmental Biotechnology, Plant Microbes interaction, Comparative Genomics

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.