Microbial Biocontrol Sustainable Agriculture And Phytopathogen Management

This first volume of a two-volume work presents the manifold applications of beneficial microbes and microbiomes in plant growth promotion, in enhancing crop resilience and in control of phytopathogens through microbial antagonists. In-depth insights into latest technologies such as biopriming of seeds and soil inoculation of rhizosphere microorganisms are provided. The two-volume work “Microbial Biocontrol” introduces mechanisms of plant-microbe interactions and explores latest strategies of how microbes can be applied in biocontrol and management of plant pathogens, replacing chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The book covers different groups of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, but also the interplay of entire microbiomes, and reviews their specific benefits in crop growth promotion, in enhancing the plants’ tolerance against biotic and abiotic stress as well as in post-harvest management of various plant diseases. Novel tools such as CRISPR/Cas9 and microbe derived nanoparticles are also addressed besides the legal aspects of biocontrol applications. Today, rising global population and changing climatic conditions emerge as a major challenge for agronomist farmers and researchers in fulfilling the requirements of global food production. The conventional agricultural practices utilize undistributed use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to enhance growth and yield of agricultural products and fresh foods, but their extensive and continuous use have led to a range of negative consequences on the food quality and safety, to environment as well as to human and animal health. Microbial biocontrol applications are presented as a solution, paving the way to a sustainable agriculture in compliance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The book addresses researchers in academia and agriculture.

This book is exploring molecular insight of plant disease resistance, enhancing plant immunity as well as the latest omics or approaches in plant disease management. In the recent past, microbial strains or products frequently utilized to inhibit the growth of phytopathogen and disease management. However, it is well known that plants respond to numerous biotic and abiotic stresses by morphological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms. But still there is much more to study about their molecular aspect of interaction between host- pathogens- biocontrol agents that will be helpful in formulation and applications of microbial antagonistic for effective management of phytopathogens. This book attempt to fill this gap in the literature. This book is of interest to teachers, researchers, agronomist, horticulturalist scientists, capacity builders and policymakers. Also the book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of agriculture, microbiology, environment science.

This book is developed in a lucid manner for readers to grasp information about the role and potential of microbes in sustainable agriculture & computational strategies associated with it. Present volume focuses on advancements of microbial research in increasing agricultural productivity and sustainability viz. plant growth promotion by rhizobacterial biostimulants, endophytes, actinobacteria, arbuscularmycorrhizal fungi and biocontrol. Present day research is focused on role of soil microbe’s in agriculture, diazotropic & azotobacterial N2 fixation, PGPR etc. However, there is dearth of information on bioremediation of agrochemicals, biocontrol etc. This book is a compilation of research advances in both the aspect from eminent experts around the globe. In addition, in-silico mediated understandings of plant pathology, use of artificial neural networks in phytopathogen prediction, computational approaches in enhancing secondary metabolites production will be beneficial to professionals and academicians for sustainable agriculture. This volume will be very helpful for the students, teachers, professionals, and scientists concerned in agricultural production, food security, soil microbiology, agricultural biotechnology, and computational techniques.

The performance of crops in the soil largely depends on the physico-chemical components of the soil, which regulate the availability of nutrients as well as abiotic and biotic stresses. Microbes are the integral component of any agricultural soil, playing a vital role in regulating the bioavailability of nutrients, the tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses and management of seed-borneand soil-borne plant diseases. The second volume of the book Microbial Inoculants in Sustainable Agricultural Productivity - Functional Applications reflects the pioneering efforts of eminent researchers to explore the functions of promising microbes as microbial inoculants, establish inoculants for field applications and promote corresponding knowledge among farming communities. In this volume, readers will find dedicated chapters on the role of microbes as biofertilizers and biopesticides in the improvement of crop plants, managing soil fertility and plant health, enhancing the efficiency of soil nutrients and establishing systemic phytopathogen resistance in plants, as well as managing various kinds of plant stress by applying microbial inoculants. The impact of microbial inoculants on the remediation of heavy metals, soil carbon sequestration, function of rhizosphere microbial communities and remediation of heavy metal contaminated agricultural soils is also covered in great detail. In this Volume, a major focus is on the approaches, strategies, advances and technologies used to develop suitable and sustainable delivery systems for microbial inoculants in field applications. Subsequent chapters investigate the role of nanomaterials in agriculture and the nanoparticle-mediated biocontrol of nematodes. An overview of the challenges facing the regulation and registration of biopesticides in India rounds out the coverage.

This collection summarises and reviews the wealth of recent research on the development of more environmentally friendly biological methods to control plant diseases.

This volume explains the recent findings on the mutualistic plant–microbe interactions and how they can be utilized for sustainable agriculture practices including land reclamation. The book covers mainly plant growth promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) including both the symbiotic bacteria and fungi and their role in mobilization of nutrients, providing protection to the crops from phytopathogens and abiotic stresses. PGPMs play important roles in survival and health of the plant. These useful microorganisms provide plants with nutrients, protect them from pathogens and help them combat abiotic stresses. It is important that these mutualistic interactions between plant and soil microbes are well understood so as to develop reliable products in the form of biostimulants and biopesticides, as well as managing biotic and abiotic stresses in crops. Apart from enhancing crop productivity plant–microbe interactions can also perform activities such as reclamation of degraded lands, degradation of pollutants and remediation of saline or marginal lands. This book is of interest to teachers, researchers, plant scientists and microbiologists. Also, the book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of agriculture, microbiology, biotechnology, ecology, soil science and environmental sciences.

This book presents advanced ecological techniques for crop cultivation and the chapters are arranged into four sections, namely general aspects, weeds, fungi, worms and microbes. Biocontrol is an ecological method of controlling pests such as insects, mites, weeds and plant diseases using other organisms. This practice has been used for centuries. Biocontrol relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms. Natural enemies of insect pests, also known as biological control agents, include predators, parasitoids, pathogens, and competitors.

Microbial biotechnology is an emerging field with applications in a broad range of sectors involving food security, human nutrition, plant protection and overall basic research in the agricultural sciences. The environment has been sustaining the burden of mankind from time immemorial, and our indiscriminate use of its resources has led to the degradation of the climate, loss of soil fertility, and the need for sustainable strategies. The major focus in the coming decades will be on achieving a green and clean environment by utilizing soil and plant-associated beneficial microbial communities. Plant-microbe interactions include the association of microbes with plant systems: epiphytic, endophytic and rhizospheric. The microbes associated with plant ecosystems play an important role in plant growth, development, and soil health. Moreover, soil and plant microbiomes help to promote plant growth, either directly or indirectly by means of plant growth-promoting mechanisms, e.g. the release of plant growth regulators; solubilization of phosphorus, potassium and zinc; biological nitrogen fixation; or by producing siderophores, ammonia, HCN and other secondary metabolites. These beneficial microbial communities represent a novel and promising solution for agro-environmental sustainability by providing biofertilizers, bioprotectants, and biostimulants, in addition to mitigating various types of abiotic stress in plants. This book focuses on plant-microbe interactions; the biodiversity of soil and plant microbiomes; and their role in plant growth and soil health. Accordingly, it will be immensely useful to readers working in the biological sciences, especially microbiologists, biochemists and microbial biotechnologists.

Plant based biotechnology has come to represent a means of mitigating the problems of global food security in the twenty-first century. Products and processes in agriculture are increasingly becoming linked to science and cutting edge technology, to enable the engineering of what are in effect, designer plants. One of the most successful , non-chemical approaches to pest management and disease control is biological control, which seeks a solution in terms of using living organisms to regulate the incidence of pests and pathogens, providing a natural control' while still maintaining the biological balance with the ecosystem. This volume, (the first of two), addresses the different types of biocontrol for different pests, namely, crop diseases, weeds and nematodes, and details the biology of both the pest and its enemies, which is vital for efficient use of biological control. The book has numerous contributors who are authorities in their fields, and would be an asset to those who have interest in sustainable agriculture and crop productivity.

This edited volume covers all aspects of microbes in consortia; their roles in the ecological balance of soil by mineralize soil nutrients, plant growth promotion, protecting plants from disease by acting as biocontrol agents etc. Step-by-step descriptions are provided to the development and designing strategies of microbial consortia of rhizobacteria, phytohormone producing with biocontrol; ACC-deaminase producing with siderophore producing; vice-versa, and many combinations of multifaceted bacteria. The development of microbial consortia into successful bioinoculant and biofertilizers is also included in various chapters. In addition, molecular mechanisms to study the synergistic behaviors of rhizobacteria, accompanied by numerous helpful schematic drawings. Using phylogeny to justify the molecular similarity among two different bacteria identifies the possibility of microbial synergism, fruitful to development of microbial consortium and establish them in the rhizosphere with consorted mechanisms. In addition, clear drawings are included in support of understanding the natural phenomenon of synergism in below-ground ecosystem. Essential information is provided on ecological management by consorted mechanisms of rhizobacteria that directly affect ‘agriculture sustainability’ and an individual chapter is devoted to the understanding of future research, and addressing bottlenecks and successful steps. This book assists the academicians, researchers and NGOs in negotiating the steep learning curve involved in gaining the skills needed to perform design and development of microbial consortiums, preparation of PGPR-based fertilizers, which offers significant advantages in terms of pertaining novel knowledge on the groundbreaking research, still ongoing.