Bio-Based Solutions and Advanced Bioprocessing: Driving Innovation in Crop Biology and Sustainable Agriculture

Global agriculture faces unprecedented challenges from climate change, soil degradation, and rising food demand. Traditional chemical-heavy practices threaten environmental integrity. Consequently, the transition toward a circular bioeconomy requires actionable, eco-friendly alternatives. Bio-based solutions—including microbial biostimulants, bioproducts, and biopolymers—offer critical mechanisms to enhance plant physiological functions, optimize the accumulation of plant bioactive compounds, and improve resilience against abiotic and biotic stresses. Concurrently, advanced bioprocessing technologies like precision fermentation, nanotechnology, and multi-omics are bridging the gap between fundamental laboratory discoveries and scalable agronomic applications. This Research Topic explores the intersection of crop biology and industrial biomanufacturing, aiming to replace synthetic agrochemicals with optimized, biologically derived products that promote sustainable farming.Despite significant advancements in agricultural biotechnology, a critical gap remains in translating fundamental omics and cellular discoveries into robust, deployable field solutions. Many bio-based formulations lack the commercial scalability, shelf-life, or mechanistic predictability required for widespread adoption. Furthermore, integrating advanced bioprocessing techniques into crop enhancement is still in its infancy.The main goal of this collection is to bridge this translational gap by showcasing how advanced bioprocessing can optimize the production, delivery, and efficacy of bio-based agricultural solutions. By uniting multidisciplinary research from plant biology, bioprocess engineering, and microbiology, this collection will highlight scalable innovations that drive crop resilience, yield, and nutritional quality. Ultimately, it aims to provide a comprehensive roadmap for transforming bio-based concepts into tangible, sustainable agricultural practices.This Research Topic welcomes submissions of original research articles, reviews, opinion, and methods that connect bioprocessing innovations with crop biology. Topics for submission may include (but not limited to) the following: • Bio-Based Formulations: Development and evaluation of microbial or non-microbial biostimulants, biofertilizers, and biocontrol agents and versatile bioproducts.• Innovative Microbial Applications: Application of single or combined mutualistic microbes to promote crop growth, protection, and performance, and the biosynthesis of valuable plant bioactive compounds.• Advanced Bioprocessing: Innovations in the downstream processing, manufacturing scale-up, and stabilization of resilient bio-agronomic formulations, including those aimed at preserving bioactive integrity.• Nanotechnology in Delivery: Novel nanocarrier systems for targeted delivery of bio-actives, genes, and nutrients and plant-derived bioproducts directly to crops.• Mechanistic & Physiological Insights: Biochemical and molecular investigations into how bio-products enhance plant stress tolerance and agronomic yield and the accumulation of secondary plant bioactive compounds.• Climate Change Resilience: Role of biostimulants and bio-based strategies in boosting crop tolerance against climate-induced abiotic stresses and severe pathogen pressures, while maintaining the quality of plant bioactive compounds.• Plant-Microbe & Soil Interactions: Drivers, processes, and mechanisms governing beneficial microbiomes, soil fertility, and plant nutrient absorption, and the impact of these interactions on plant secondary metabolism and bioactive compound production Topic editors: Mohamed Ait-El-Mokhtar, Fouad Mellouki, Houssam Abouloifa, Raffaella Maria Balestrini Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84099/bio-based-solutions-and-advanced-bioprocessing-driving-innovation-in-crop-biology-and-sustainable-agriculture