Effect of Biostimulants in the Soil-Plant-Microbe System
A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 3490
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The present Special Issue, edited by Dr. Regina Gabilondo, will focus on all of the processes and interactions of the soil–plant–microbe system and the effect of biostimulants in the soil–plant–microbe system, with the aim of establishing a better understanding of the biostimulant mechanisms of action in plants, soil, and edaphic fauna. Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 defines the term biostimulant as “an EU fertilizer product whose function is to stimulate the nutritional processes of plants regardless of the nutrient content of the product, with the sole objective of improving one or more of the following plant characteristics and its rhizosphere: efficiency in the use of nutrients, tolerance to abiotic stress, quality characteristics or availability of nutrients immobilized in the soil and the rhizosphere”. There are different types of biostimulants, including those based on beneficial microorganisms (bacteria and fungi), algae and chitosan products. Those belonging to the group called “plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria” (PGPR) are among the most commonly used treatments in plant cultures. Most of the beneficial organisms used as biostimulants for plants live in the rhizosphere. The rhizosphere is a region around the plant roots possessing intense microbial and faunal activity through all nutrients a plant absorbs, a process which is still not fully understood. Plants secrete high amounts of molecules into the soil through their roots, which are called exudates that stimulate microbial activity in the rhizosphere. These exudates provide carbon to the soil microorganisms that are strongly carbon-limited, mainly fast-growing bacteria, and are increased together with microfaunal grazers such as bacterial-feeding protozoa and free-living nematodes. The exudate carbon comes from the total net fixed carbon by plants, representing 10-20% of it. Another 10-20% is consumed by microbial symbionts, such as mycorrhizae or N2-fixing microorganisms. Supporting microbial interactions in the rhizosphere is of great importance for plants, because the availability of mineral nutrients to plants is strongly enhanced via the microbial loop. Bacteria feed on the soil nutrients through different ways and then are liberated by microfaunal grazing, increasing their bioavailability for plants. Biostimulants provide beneficial microorganisms, nutrients, vitamins and other compounds that interact with the soil and rhizosphere of the plants, with the aim of promoting their growth and yield.
In this Special Issue, research advances will be presented to understand the effect of biostimulants in the soil–plant–microbe system, ecology and biochemistry, and mechanisms of action.
Dr. Regina Gabilondo
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- soil–plant–microbe system
- biostimulant
- rhizosphere
- fertilizer
- availability of mineral nutrients
- microfaunal grazing
- protozoa
- nematode
- mycorrhizae
- microbial loop
