Introduction

The editors of forthcoming book titled “Next-Generation Biofertilizers: Microbiome Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture” are pleased to invite you and members of your working group to submit a chapter for this book, to be published by Taylor & Francis (Apple Academic Press Inc. – USA).

Next-Generation Biofertilizers: Microbiome Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture presents a comprehensive and forward-looking exploration of next-generation biofertilizer technologies that are transforming modern agriculture. As global food systems face increasing challenges from climate change, soil degradation, declining fertility, environmental pollution, and the overreliance on chemical fertilizers, innovative microbial solutions have emerged as essential tools for sustainable agricultural development. This book examines the evolution of biofertilizers from traditional microbial inoculants to advanced designer microbial systems engineered through cutting-edge biotechnology, synthetic biology, microbiome science, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence.

The volume provides an interdisciplinary treatment of biofertilizer research, integrating fundamental concepts with emerging technological advances. It covers microbial diversity, rhizosphere ecology, plant–microbe interactions, microbiome engineering, genome editing, synthetic microbial consortia, endophytic microbiomes, and multi-omics approaches for identifying and optimizing beneficial microorganisms. The book further explores nano-enabled biofertilizers, microbial biostimulants, biosurfactants, climate-resilient microbial formulations, and smart delivery systems designed to improve nutrient use efficiency, crop productivity, and stress tolerance under changing environmental conditions.

The book is designed to provide a comprehensive and authoritative reference on next-generation biofertilizer technologies, bringing together leading researchers and experts from diverse disciplines. Contributors will include specialists in agricultural microbiology, soil science, microbial ecology, plant biotechnology, environmental biotechnology, synthetic biology, bioinformatics, nanoscience, and precision agriculture. This multidisciplinary approach will ensure broad scientific coverage and a balanced perspective on both fundamental research and practical applications.

Table of Contents (but not limited to)

• Chapter 1: The Evolution of Biofertilizers: From Classical Inoculants to Designer Microbial Systems
• Chapter 2: Microbiome Engineering for Sustainable Agriculture: Concepts, Tools and Future Perspectives
• Chapter 3: Synthetic Biology and Genome Editing Approaches for Next-Generation Biofertilizers
• Chapter 4: Multi-Omics Strategies for Discovering and Designing Efficient Biofertilizer Microbes
• Chapter 5: Rhizosphere Signaling and Molecular Communication Between Plants and Beneficial Microorganisms
• Chapter 6: Microbial Consortia Engineering: Building Synthetic Communities for Enhanced Soil Fertility
• Chapter 7: Endophytic Microbiomes as Hidden Biofertilizer Reservoirs for Crop Improvement
• Chapter 8: Nanobiofertilizers and Nano-Enabled Microbial Formulations for Precision Agriculture
• Chapter 9: Biostimulants, Biosurfactants and Microbial Metabolites in Plant Nutrition and Stress Management
• Chapter 10: Climate-Smart Biofertilizers for Drought, Salinity, Heat and Heavy Metal Stress Mitigation
• Chapter 11: AI, Machine Learning and Big Data in Biofertilizer Discovery and Smart Agricultural Management
• Chapter 12: Biofertilizers in Carbon Farming and Soil Microbiome Restoration for Ecosystem Sustainability
• Chapter 13: Circular Bioeconomy and Waste-to-Biofertilizer Technologies for Green Agriculture
• Chapter 14: Commercialization of Advanced Biofertilizers: Formulation, Shelf-Life and Delivery Systems
• Chapter 15: Future Horizons: Precision Microbiome Agriculture and the Next Generation of Smart Biofertilizers

Submission Procedure
Proposal Submission: Authors are requested to submit a formal proposal in our given template on or before 20 December, 2026. A chapter title needs to be confirmed before writing the full chapter. Authors are requested to download the sample Proposal below and type their own one within the same style and send it via email to waniparvaiz1889@gmail.com

Full Length Chapter Submission: All chapters should be submitted via email to Dr. Parvaze Ahmad Wani.

Note: There is no submission or acceptance fee for manuscripts submitted to this book. All manuscripts are accepted based on a double-blind peer review editorial process.

Useful Links
All proposals and full-length chapters should be submitted via email to the concerned editor, Dr. Parvaze Ahmad Wani at waniparvaiz1889@gmail.com

• Click here to download Sample Proposal / Template
• Click here for the Sample Chapter
• Click here to download the Copyright Transmittal Form and Figure/Table Reprint Permission Form
• Click here for Proposal Submission

Publisher
The book will be published by Apple Academic Press and Co-published by CRC Press (A Taylor and Francis Group).

Terms and Conditions

1. All the chapters should be in the strict page ranges of 20-50 or not more than 15,000 words.
2. We follow the APA system of in-text citations, and no other style will be entertained. References for each chapter will be limited; please avoid the unnecessary citations in the text. Please use the current references (from 2015 – 2026).
3. Write your chapter in such a way that it represents the research scenario from the whole world and is not specific to your own country-based works.
4. You can also put black and white/color clear figures/ diagrams/ flowcharts. Please use British English and we strongly advise to use a native English speaker to edit the text before submission.
5. Scientific quality must be good enough and there should be no sorts of plagiarism, otherwise the chapter will be rejected right away.
6. Authors will receive the galley proof of their chapter prior to final publication in order to avoid proofing/typesetting errors.
7. The submitted book chapter must have a plagiarism index of less than 4% and it is the responsibility of the authors to submit a plagiarism report along with the final manuscript.
8. After the proposal is accepted, the corresponding author will receive the author pack. We expect to receive the full chapter before December 31, 2026 along with plagscan (<4%) & Forms 5, 6, 8, 10. For manuscript, we require an e-copy of full chapter submitted in Microsoft word 2010. Let us know if you cannot meet this deadline.
9. The full chapter will be written in US English only with no line numbering, a line spacing of 1.5, Times New Roman 11-point font size, margins top/bottom of 1”, margins left/right of 1.25”.
10. A typical chapter will include the title, author(s) with affiliation/cell phone/ email & mailing address, abstract with <200 words, body of chapter, summary, keywords (<7 words: we use it for book index), references using Vancouver-style (in alphabetical order), list of abbreviations in the chapter, etc., any appendix (if necessary). All references must be cited in the text using the APA system.
11. Tables and figures should be included in the text at the right place just after their citation in the main text.
12. All figures and tables must be self-developed or modified (>75%) from the original article or information collected from published articles or book chapters. No copyright images/tables/graphs should be used.
13. As a book chapter, both comprehensive and systematic reviews are welcome.

Total similarity index of manuscript must be less than 4%: PLEASE DO NOT USE COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS that have been published unless you have reprint permission from the original publisher. OPEN-SOURCE articles can be evaluated only in exceptional cases. Our publisher and we editors are against plagiarism. Such activity will only delay our publication. Use of such material without having the reprint permission is unethical and punishable under International Law and may carry a fine by the authorities. The manuscripts/chapters are subjected to plagiarism checking by antiplagiarism software at different levels.

Our team expects to work with you closely. We can assure you the best quality production. World BIOLOGICA along with AAP takes care of all processes from editing to marketing at no charge to authors. There is no fee for inclusion of a chapter. All contributing authors will receive a PDF copy of the volume that includes their chapter; and they can buy a hard copy at a discounted price.

Inquiries can be forwarded to

Dr. Parvaze Ahmad Wani
Email: waniparvaiz1889@gmail.com

Editors

Dr. Zaffar Bashir, PhD, Editor
Assistant Professor,
Centre of Research for Development and PG Programme in Microbiology,
University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006,
Jammu and Kashmir, India
Mobile: +91-9149744655
Email: zaffarsahib@gmail.com

Dr. Parvaze Ahmad Wani, PhD, (Responsible) Editor
Assistant Professor,
Centre of Research for Development and PG Programme in Microbiology,
University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006,
Jammu and Kashmir, India
Mobile: +91-70066765543
Email: waniparvaiz1889@gmail.com

Dr. Junaid Ahmad Malik, PhD, Editor-in-Chief
Founder and CEO, World BIOLOGICA, India | USA | Romania
Email: malik@worldbiologica.com

Project Manager
Dr. Abid Bhat, PhD
Associate Editor (Books),
World BIOLOGICA, India
Email: editor@worldbiologica.com