Advances in Plant–fungal Symbioses and Implications for Sustainable Agriculture

Plant–fungal symbioses are a cornerstone of terrestrial ecosystems, influencing the growth, health, and resilience of nearly 80% of all land plants. Mycorrhizal associations, in which fungal hyphae extend the plant root system to enhance water and nutrient uptake in exchange for plant-derived carbohydrates, form expansive underground networks that improve plant stress tolerance, soil quality, and overall crop yield. These symbiotic relationships are essential for nutrient cycling and plant colonization of land, with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi serving as natural bio-fertilizers that reduce the reliance on synthetic nitrogen and phosphorus inputs. Alongside mycorrhizae, endophytic fungi live within plant tissues without causing disease, offering further benefits such as metabolite production with antibacterial and antifungal properties and enhancing tolerance to environmental stresses like drought, salinity, and heavy metal toxicity. Despite these advantages, some fungi can transition to pathogenic behavior, and our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms and environmental conditions influencing the benefits and risks of plant–fungal symbioses is still evolving. Recent advances in genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics have shed light on the intricate signaling networks mediating plant–fungal communication, yet many questions remain around the plasticity of these interactions and their practical use in agriculture.This Research Topic aims to highlight the latest advances in the mechanistic understanding and agricultural applications of plant–fungal symbioses. Its goal is to elucidate how plant–fungal partnerships can be harnessed for sustainable and resilient crop production in diverse environments. Special emphasis will be placed on the molecular regulation of symbiotic establishment, the discovery of new beneficial fungal strains, metabolic exchanges, and strategies to manage or engineer these interactions for improved plant productivity and stress resistance. Through this collection, we seek to address knowledge gaps regarding the impact of plant–fungal partnerships under changing climatic conditions, the transitions between mutualism and pathogenicity, and the potential of omics and gene-editing technologies to optimize symbiosis for the benefit of agriculture.This Research Topic has a broad yet focused scope. We encourage contributions addressing the diversity of plant–fungal interactions, with a particular focus on mechanisms, ecological implications, and translational potential for agriculture, while excluding articles that focus solely on pathogenicity without beneficial or symbiotic aspects. To gather further insights in this area, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Molecular and signaling mechanisms underlying beneficial plant–fungal interactions• Plant–fungal symbioses mediated nutrient transfer and health-promoting compounds in crops• Discovery of novel beneficial fungal strains through metagenomics, genomics, or transcriptomics• Climate change impacts on specific plant–fungal symbioses• Endophytic fungi in plant stress tolerance and growth promotion• Engineering plant–fungal symbioses via synthetic biology and genetic modification• Multi-omics approaches, including CRISPR-Cas9 and RNA interference• Stress shielding mechanisms induced by fungi in plants• Influence of mycorrhizal networks on global carbon dynamics• Fungal-mediated bioremediation in contaminated soils• Customized mycorrhizal inoculants for precision agriculture• Fungal-derived biocontrol and enhancement of disease resistance in plants Topic editors: Harmanjit Kaur, Sudhakar Srivastava, David Kothamasi Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78500/advances-in-plant-fungal-symbioses-and-implications-for-sustainable-agriculture