Microbial Contributions to Plant Immune Readiness: Innovations for Sustainable Farming

In the realm of plant biology, the concept of immune priming has emerged as a pivotal strategy enabling plants to prepare and respond more effectively to future stressors. This heightened state of preparedness, known as defense priming, provides plants with long-lasting, sometimes even heritable protection against a variety of stressors. At the forefront of this phenomenon are beneficial microbes, including plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), fungi, and endophytes, which play a crucial role in synthesizing metabolites that enhance plant immune responses, bolster stress resilience, and minimize dependence on chemical inputs. While research has underscored the immediate resistance to pathogens afforded by priming, its potential to induce epigenetic reprogramming and metabolic transitions, as well as intergenerational memory, underscores the transformative impact of immune priming in advancing sustainable agricultural practices.This Research Topic aims to further unravel the intricate molecular, cellular, and epigenetic mechanisms underpinning plant immune priming and defense memory. By exploring contributions ranging from fundamental discoveries to translational advancements in the field, the topic seeks to address vital questions surrounding the role of microbial metabolites in inducing systemic resistance, the potential of multi-omics approaches to decode priming responses, and the evolutionary or ecological ramifications of heritable priming. Additionally, the topic aims to probe novel strategies such as nanopriming, biostimulants, and microbial consortia that promise to amplify crop protection, thereby sustaining yield stability and reinforcing resilience amidst climate challenges.To gather further insights into the potential applications and limitations of plant immune priming in agricultural contexts, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Molecular, cellular, and epigenetic mechanisms of immune priming.• PGPR- and endophyte-mediated induction of systemic resistance through microbial metabolites and signaling networks.• Multi-omics approaches (transcriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics, epigenomics) to decode priming responses.• Intergenerational or heritable priming and its evolutionary/ecological implications.• Novel strategies such as nanopriming, biostimulants, or microbial consortia for crop protection.• Field-based and translational studies linking priming to yield stability and climate resilience.• Comparative insights into immune priming under combined biotic and abiotic stresses.Through a synthesis of mechanistic and applied insights, this Research Topic endeavors to illuminate how microbial and molecular priming strategies can be leveraged to create resilient, climate-adaptive, and environmentally sustainable crop production methods. Topic editors: PRASHANT SINGH, Binod Bihari Sahu, Han Cheng, Daniel Munyao Mutyambai Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/74702/microbial-contributions-to-plant-immune-readiness-innovations-for-sustainable-farming