Editorial: Beneficial microbe-plant interactions under biotic/abiotic stress conditions

Plants are facing a range of biotic and abiotic stressors, including pests, pathogens, salinity, drought, cold, heavy metal stress, and nutrient deficiencies. These challenges restrict agroforestry production. The plant-associated microbiome constitutes the second genome of plants and has garnered significant attention due to its pivotal roles in plant growth, productivity, and health (Trivedi et al., 2020). Both the composition and function of the microbiome are influenced by plant-microbe interactions and environmental factors, such as biotic and abiotic stress conditions. However, the limited understanding of the interplay between beneficial microbes and plants hampers the utilization of plant-associated microbes for sustainable agriculture and forestry ecosystems under stress conditions. This Research Topic aims to deepen our understanding of the functions and response mechanisms of beneficial microbes and plants to biotic and abiotic stressors.

This Research Topic comprises 22 articles (21 research articles and one review article) that explore the interactions between beneficial microbes and plants under biotic or abiotic stress conditions. The plant-associated beneficial microbes include rhizosphere and endophytic microbes. These articles illuminate the roles of beneficial microbes in plant health, identify novel beneficial strains, describe the characteristics of rhizosphere or endophytic microbial communities across varying environments and plant genotypes, and elucidate signaling mechanisms governing the interactions between microbes and plants under stress conditions, thereby contributing to the potential application of beneficial microbes in future sustainable food, fuel, and fiber crop production.