Innovative Biofertilizers and Organo-Mineral Fertilizers in Climate-Smart Agriculture

Agricultural production is declining at an increasing rate due to the effects of climate change, including water, salt, and heat stress, soil degradation, and reduced nutrient use efficiency, threatening future food security. The use of chemical fertilizers has improved yields in the short term, but it has many drawbacks, such as greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient losses, groundwater pollution, and reduced soil biological activity.This alarming and worrying situation requires the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly fertilization strategies. Biofertilizers based on beneficial microorganisms, as well as organo-mineral fertilizers combining organic matter and mineral nutrients, have emerged as promising alternatives and complements to conventional inputs. They are capable of promoting soil fertility, plant growth, and stress tolerance. It is essential to understand their mechanisms of action, their interactions within the soil-plant-microorganism system, and their performance under different climatic conditions in order to optimize their contribution to sustainable intensification and climate-smart agriculture.The central problem addressed in this research theme is the lack of integrated, mechanistic, climate-adapted fertilization strategies capable of effectively combining biological, organic, and mineral components while taking into account soil heterogeneity and environmental stresses. Biofertilizers often have variable effectiveness, mainly due to low microbial survival, limited rhizosphere colonization, and incompatibility with certain soil and climate conditions. Similarly, organo-mineral fertilizers, although promising, often remain sub-optimized in terms of formulation, nutrient release dynamics, and assessment of their environmental performance. To meet these challenges, progress must be made in both technological innovation and systemic understanding. This includes the development of multifunctional, stress-tolerant microbial consortia, improved inoculants, and innovative carrier materials, such as polymer matrices, to optimize microbial persistence and nutrient release. In addition, the design of controlled-release organo-mineral fertilizers and nano-activated formulations would improve nutrient availability while reducing losses. Finally, the integration of advanced analytical and molecular techniques will facilitate a better understanding of soil-plant-microorganism interactions under climatic stress, paving the way for resilient and eco-efficient fertilization systems.This research theme aims to advance fundamental and applied knowledge on biofertilizers and organo-mineral fertilizer innovations, essential tools for enhancing climate resilience, productivity, and sustainability in agricultural systems. Contributions should address mechanistic, technological, agronomic, and environmental aspects, with a strong focus on the role of biofertilizers and organo-mineral fertilizers in improving plant tolerance to climate-induced stresses.We particularly encourage contributions on the following themes (but not limited to):Development of innovative biofertilizer and organo-mineral fertilizer formulations to mitigate plant abiotic stresses and enhance the climate resilience of cropping systems.Ilucidation of the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms underlying biofertilizer and organo-mineral fertilizer action, with particular emphasis on nutrient cycling, stress signaling pathways, and plant adaptation to adverse environmental conditions.Investigation of soil–plant–microbe interactions and their synergistic effects in improving plant tolerance and crop resistance to abiotic stresses.Assessment of biofertilizer and organo-mineral fertilizer performance at field scale, focusing on yield stability and stress resilience.This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:Community Case StudyConceptual AnalysisData ReportEditorialFAIR² DataGeneral CommentaryHypothesis and TheoryMethodsMini ReviewOpinionOriginal ResearchPerspectivePolicy and Practice ReviewsPolicy BriefReviewSystematic ReviewTechnology and Code Topic editors: Aiman SLIMANI, Tarek Alshaal, Anas Raklami Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77049/innovative-biofertilizers-and-organo-mineral-fertilizers-in-climate-smart-agriculture