Streptomyces microbiomes in agriculture

"Streptomycetes are the largest taxon of antibiotic producers in the microbial world. They are Gram positive, filamentous bacteria in the Streptomycetaceae family, with the genus Streptomyces as the sole member and more than 500 species. Streptomycetes are widely distributed in soil and rhizosphere, where they form dynamic assemblies representing nearly 40% of soil bacteria. They also colonize water and several other natural environments. Because of their production of antibiotics and a plethora of other bioactive secondary metabolites, streptomycetes receive a huge interest for biotechnological applications. In addition, their lifestyle makes them good competitors in the soil, as well as strong antagonists of plant pathogens. A huge amount of literature has been produced on the use of streptomycetes as biological control agents of plant diseases. On the other hand, biological control, including that relying on streptomycetes, has historically suffered from inconsistent results over the years and in various environments. Indeed, very few Streptomyces-based plant protection products have been released in the market. Therefore, it is important to identify critical points in the Streptomyces-mediated biocontrol, and possible improvements for a better biocontrol efficacy. For this purpose, "-omics" sciences offer new opportunities for a deep study of the interactions of streptomycetes with plants, pathogens, and other beneficial microbes. For this Special Issue, we invite you to submit review articles and research results covering all aspects of the knowledge about Streptomyces microbiomes in agriculture, with the objectives to unveil the mechanistic aspects of biocontrol, suppressive soils or interactions with plants and other organisms, and the dynamics of streptomycetes assemblies under diverse natural and anthropological pressures. Reviews beyond the mere description of the literature and bringing to the light new evidence of scientific relevance thanks to a critical analysis of the past research will be particularly appreciated. Furthermore, primary and applied research opening novel, yet unexplored applications of streptomycetes is cherished."