Endophytic Microbiota: Prospects and Challenges for Application Towards Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Management

Submission Deadline: 15 March 2026 View: 885 Submit to Special Issue

Guest Editors

Prof. Dr. Ahmed M. Abel-Azeem

Email: Ahmed_abdelazeem@science.suez.edu.eg

Affiliation: 1 Research Institute of University of the Bucharest (ICUB), University of Bucharest, Romania

2 Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt

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Research Interests: endophytes, taxonomy of fungi, microbial secondary metabolites, plant-microbe interactions, PGP

Assist. Prof. Lobna Hajji-Hedfi

Email: lobna.hajji@iresa.agrinet.tn

Affiliation: Regional Centre of Agricultural Research of Sidi Bouzid, CRRA, Gafsa Road Km 6, B.P. 357, 9100, Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia

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Research Interests: sustanable agriculture, endophytic microbota, PGP, microbial enzymes, fungal plant diseases

Dr. Yousra A. El-Maradny

Email: hiph.YMaradny@alexu.edu.eg

Affiliation: Pharmaceutical and Fermentation Industries Development Center, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), New Borg EL-Arab, Alexandria, 21934, Egypt

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Research Interests: application of microbiota in phramaceutica, environmental and agricultural applications, fermentation, secondary metabolities, molecular biology

Summary

This Special Issue aims to display advances in endophytic research and various aspects of functional applications in sustainable agriculture and environmental management. We welcome submissions that explore the multifaceted roles of endophytic microorganisms, covering (but not limited to) the following topics:

· Deciphering endophytic microbial strains in abiotic stress management;
· Applications and limitations of the endophytic microbiome in pre and postharvest disease management and commercial-scale production;
· Diversity and functional attributes of endophytic microbiomes;
· Multifaceted interactions between endophytes and plants: prospects in sustainable agriculture;
· Endophytic microbiome applications in managing environmental contamination;
· Endophytic microorganisms as biocontrol agents and disease resistance in the host plant;
· Microbial endophyte's roles in phytostimulation and improving nutrient acquisition in agriculture;
· Mechanisms of fungal and bacterial endophyte-plant interactions;
· Plant metabolites and bioactive compounds derived from endophytes;
· Bioprospecting endophytes for biostimulants and agricultural applications;
· Applications of endophytes in stress tolerance and crop resilience;
· Novel endophyte-based approaches for climate-smart agriculture;
· Endophytic microbiota: symbiotic bioresource for production of plant secondary metabolites;
· Endophytic microbiota and their role in postharvest disease management;
· Microbial endophytes and their bioactive compounds for sustainable agriculture;
· Omics-Based approaches in studying microbial endophytes and their associated secondary metabolites;
· Untapped bioactive compounds from endophytic microbiota with potential antioxidant activity;
· Genetic, epigenetic, and physicochemical strategies to improve the agricultural potential of microbial endophytes endophytic microbiota for microbial phytoremediation: prospects for agricultural and environmental sustainability.

We invite researchers and experts to contribute their findings to this Special Issue, helping to advance our understanding of endophytic microorganisms and their potential to move towards a more sustainable and efficient agricultural system and environmental sustainability.

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