A preface of the special issue “Plant growth promoting microorganisms: harnessing unparalleled eco-friendly benefits for sustainable agricultural outputs”

microorganisms can play an important role in plant adaptation to climate change (Zeng et al. 2025) as well as nutrient uptake (Singh et al. 2025).This special issue provides the latest advancements in research of plant growth-promoting microorganisms applied to agriculture.It includes three review papers whose main topic is the use of plant growth-promoting microorganisms for soil and crop health and sustainable agriculture.Sethi et al. presented an extended review where they explore the mechanisms by which bacteria solubilize zinc, their ecological role in soil health, and their potential to revolutionize modern agriculture by providing an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to conventional zinc fertilizers ( h t t p s : / / d o i .o r g / 1 0 . 1 0 0 7 / s 1 0 7 2 5 -0 2 5 -0 1 2 9 4 -7).Dubey et al. p r e s e n t e d a comprehensive description of current strategies for constructing and applying synthetic microbial communities (SynComs).It addresses novel approaches, explores underutilized tools in plant microbiome research, and discusses strategies for designing and engineering SynComs leveraging computational modelling and high-throughput sequencing to optimize microbial interactions.Additionally, case studies highlight the successful application of Syn-Coms in mitigating abiotic and biotic stresses, emphasizing their potential to transform modern agriculture ( h t t p s : / / d o i .o r g / 1 0 . 1 0 0 7 / s 1 0 7 2 5 -0 2 5 -0 1 3 8 5 -5).Tariq et al. highlighted the roles of endophytes to benefit plants, focusing on nutrient uptake, stress management, and the role of omics technologies in unraveling these complex interactions.Special emphasis is placed on molecular insights into the genetic interplay between endophytes and plants.The integration of multi-omics technologies offers new strategies for formulating effective biostimulants, bioinoculants, and biocontrol agents ( h t t p s : / / d o i .o r g / 1 0 . 1 0 0 7 / s 1 0 7 2 5 -0 2 5 -0 1 3 7 0 -y).There is a brief report made by Zhang et al.where the authors studied the application of some Bacillus and Arthrobacter strains on tobacco plants.In this study, B. velezensis enhanced stem robustness, while Arthrobacter species