Phosphorus Acquisition and Use Efficiency: Microbial Metabolites and Plant Signaling Towards Sustainable Agriculture

Phosphorus (P) is one of the most limiting nutrients for crop productivity because only a small fraction of soil P is readily available for plant uptake. Despite widespread fertilizer application, much of the added P rapidly becomes immobilized through chemical interactions with soil minerals, reducing its availability. To overcome this limitation, plants have evolved diverse morphological, physiological and molecular strategies, including modifications of root architecture, secretion of root exudates, activation of P-mobilizing enzymes and interactions with beneficial microorganisms. Increasing evidence also highlights the importance of rhizosphere-derived metabolites and signaling molecules in regulating P mobilization, nutrient acquisition and plant–microbe interactions. Advancing our understanding of these complex biological processes requires innovative, integrative approaches that combine soil chemistry, plant physiology, microbiology and molecular biology to uncover the mechanisms governing P mobilization in soils and its acquisition by plants, supporting the development of more sustainable and resource-efficient agricultural systems.Improving P-use efficiency is one of the major challenges for sustainable agriculture. Innovative strategies capable of increasing P availability while reducing fertilizer inputs are urgently needed to ensure crop productivity and preserve finite phosphate resources.This Research Topic aims to provide a multidisciplinary platform for studies investigating the biological, biochemical and molecular mechanisms controlling P mobilization and acquisition in agricultural systems and laboratory/greenhouse-scale experiments. Particular attention will be devoted to microbial metabolites, including siderophores and other bioactive compounds, their interactions with soil minerals, and their role in regulating Fe and P cycling within the rhizosphere. Contributions exploring plant signaling pathways, including strigolactones and other hormones, involved in P sensing, nutrient acquisition and plant-microbe interactions are encouraged.The Research Topic also welcomes research on microbial inoculants, biofertilizers, biostimulants, root exudates, cover crops, soil amendments and innovative approaches designed to improve P availability, nutrient-use efficiency and crop resilience under different soil and environmental conditions. By integrating soil science, plant physiology, microbiology and molecular biology, this Research Topic seeks to advance sustainable nutrient management strategies for future agricultural systems.This Research Topic welcomes Original Research, Reviews, Mini Reviews, Methods and Perspective articles addressing, but not limited to, the following topics:- P mobilization and cycling in soils;- Fe-P interactions and Fe (hydr)oxide dynamics;- Microbial metabolites, including siderophores and organic acids;- Plant growth-promoting microorganisms and biofertilizers;- Rhizosphere ecology and plant-microbe interactions;- Strigolactones and other signalling pathways regulating P acquisition;- Root system architecture and root exudation under P deficiency;- P acquisition efficiency (PAE) and P-use efficiency (PUE);- Metabolomics, transcriptomics and multi-omics approaches;- Sustainable nutrient management, circular bio-based fertilizers and innovative agronomic practices for improving P availability and crop productivity. Topic editors: Silvia Celletti, Michela Schiavon, Klaudia Dębiec-Andrzejewska Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84280/phosphorus-acquisition-and-use-efficiency-microbial-metabolites-and-plant-signaling-towards-sustainable-agriculture