Agriculturally Important Microbes in Sustainable Food Production Jay Shankar Singh,1,* P.C. Abhilash,2 and Vijai K. Gupta3,*
Agriculturally important microorganisms
(AIMs) can inuence both the efciency of nutrient availability to crop plants and soil biodiversity, and they also regulate the interactions between plants and other harmful microora (pathogens) [1,2]. Such interactions among plants and microbes have been reported to inuence the physicochemical, biochemical, and microbiological properties of the soil [3]. Moreover, root exudates (the chemicals secreted into the soil by roots that work as connecting links between roots and the soil microbial community) as signaling molecules can enhance the communication between crops and benecial microbial agents, and consequently enhance growth, yield, and immunity in crop plants. Benecial microbes have advanced abilities to
suppress or alter the protective responses
of the host plant, permitting them to epiphytically or endophytically colonize their hosts [4]. Therefore, the exploitation and prospecting of benecial microbial bioagents and their formulations may be an appropriate option for enhancing crop production for a rapidly growing human population [5,6]. Efcient microbial communities that can offer services including plant growth promotion, nutrient use efciency, bioremediation, and control of pests/phytopathogens at the farming level are known as microbial inoculants. A profound understanding of the environmental factors inuencing the viability and performance of these microbial inoculants is essential for their large-scale use in sustainable agriculture.
[7]. Therefore, an integrated view of plant
microbe interactions in agro-ecosystem services will help to enhance global food production [8]. The present book provides timely and valuable information on the diversity and contribution of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), [3_TD$IF]endophytic microbes, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in agro-ecosystem services. The editors also include chapters elaborating signicant advances in bio-pesticides, high-density bio-inoculant cultivation, and seed bio-priming strategies for abiotic and biotic stress tolerance. Given its content, the book offers a valuable resource for students, researchers, and policy-makers concerning PGPR, microbeplant interactions, bio-pesticides, and microbial inoculants.
Although many authors have extensively
addressed the application of microbial agents in agricultural enterprises, the current book not only discusses the state-ofthe-art development of microbial inoculums but also summarizes the latest trends in identication, characterization, and diversity analysis of diverse crop-specic benecial microbial communities and their favorable impacts in the context of plant growth promotion. The editors have assembled chapters from leading authors with particular attention to detailing ideal next-generation microbial inoculants, focusing on improved viability, carrier appropriateness, stress tolerance, spore-forming potential, superior inoculation strategies, and the application of single or consortia of bacteria having multiple traits. The book also elucidates the application of next-generation omics technologies for exploring complex metabolic regulation during plantmicrobe interaction, as well as identifying and evaluating the functional properties of various microbial communities.
The book is divided into three major parts
dealing with the fundamentals of microbial inoculations in agriculture sustainability, including (i) strategies for characterizing agriculturally important microbial diversity; (ii) the role and mechanisms of PGPR, [4_TD$IF]endophytes, and AMF in crop plant growth promotion, efcient nutrient and water use, and biodegradation; and (iii) the role of bio-inoculants as bio-control agents in controlling abiotic and biotic plant stresses.
In addition, the book documents the taxonomic characterization of AIMs well,
together with their applications in eld conditions. The interactions amongst plants and their related microorganisms are complex, and the outcomes are varied
Part I is dedicated to the fundamentals of
the isolation and characterization of AIMs. It discusses the mode of action of various microbial agents, such as bio-fertilizers, phyto-stimulators, and bio-control agents. It also offers a guide to quick and reliable identication of AIMs before their use in bio-formulations for release in the eld. Because 95% of microbes are considered to be non-culturable, the book also emphasizes the need for more advanced and reliable molecular techniques for identifying and utilizing these microbes. The book also proposes simple and robust methods for the isolation and identication of bacteria and fungi in controlling rootknot nematodes (microscopic worms, the major pathogens of vegetables and crops).
Trends in Biotechnology, Month Year, Vol. xx, No. yy
TIBTEC 1404 No. of Pages 2
Part II describes the major plant growthpromoting attributes mediated by PGPR,
[3_TD$IF]endophytic bacteria, and AMF. The benecial role of [3_TD$IF]endophytic microorganisms in promoting plant health has been thoroughly documented previously [9]. Here, the importance of PGPR and AMF in plant health management is elaborated with suitable examples. Exploiting the importance of combining PGPR and AMF for promoting growth and increasing pest and disease resistance to achieve maximum crop benets and reduced agricultural production cost is also discussed in this section. Advances in omics techniques to explore the complex metabolic networks and regulatory mechanisms during plantmicrobe interaction are well presented. Finally, Part III describes in detail[5_TD$IF] about microbial inoculants as agents to combat various abiotic and biotic stresses in plants. While the book is informative in many respects, some shortcomings include the lack of information about the survival and performance of inoculated microbes in real systems. Furthermore, a major role of inoculant formulations is to provide a more suitable temporary microenvironment to prevent the rapid decline of introduced microbes in the soil. The survival of [3_TD$IF]endophytic inoculants under a variety of environmental conditions necessitates the development and use of efcient and reliable isolation, detection, segregation, categorization, and/or typing techniques for their surveillance [10]. Furthermore, a detailed discussion about the formulation of inoculant carriers to translate to commercial microbial products is lacking in this volume; the storage viability, performance, and efcacy of microbial inoculums are not described [8].
example, plants deliver carbohydrates to interested in sustainable agricultural
the microbe [11], adding to a steady asso- production. ciation between these interaction part- Microbial Inoculants in Sustainable Agricultural ners. However, strategic and applied Productivity (Vol. 1): Research Perspectives by research has proved that climate change Dhananjaya P. Singh, Harikesh B. Singh, and Ratna Prabha (eds). Springer, 2016. s139/99, hbk/ebk (343 [1_TD$IF]pp.), and associated temperature variations ISBN 978[2_TD$IF]-8[2_TD$IF]-13[2_TD$IF]-222642[2_TD$IF]-0 will affect such microbial activities in the 1 rhizosphere zone (the narrow region of Department of Environmental Microbiology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar (Central) University, Lucknow 226025, soil that is directly inuenced by root Uttar Pradesh, India secretions and associated soil microor- 2Institute of Environment & Sustainable Development, Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India ganisms). It remains unclear to what Banaras 3 Molecular Glyco-Biotechnology Group, Discipline of extent changing climatic conditions will Biochemistry, School of Natural Sciences, National affect the performance of the microbiota University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland in the rhizospheric soil and its effects on *Correspondence: jayshankar_1@yahoo.co.in (J.S. Singh) the ecosystem. Although such changes and vijaifzd@gmail.com (V.K. Gupta). will signicantly affect plantbioinoculant http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2016.06.002 relationships, the book does not address References these important issues. Despite these shortcomings, we nd that the book does a good job of highlighting various aspects of microbial inoculants (including PGPR and AMF) for their benecial impacts on plant growth promotion, thus playing an important role in agriculture sustainability. It is important to enrich our understanding of new microbial communities, their specic functions, the responses of plants and soils to such microbiota, and the ecological effects of microbial agents on crop health with a view toward climate change [1,2,5,8]. Future investigations may lead to the identication of several new microbial species that might be candidates for plant growth promotion, soil fertility management, biological control of pests and diseases, and bioremediation of environmental pollutants.
In summary, this book is an excellent scientic contribution describing microbial
agents for sustainable farming, and outlines pathways towards next-generation ideal microbial inoculants with superior Most plantmicrobe interactions promote application strategies. In our view, this plant growth and development. For book can be recommended to anyone
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1. Singh, J.S. (2015) Plantmicrobe interactions: a viable tool
for agricultural sustainability. Appl. Soil Ecol. 92, 4546 2. Zeilinger, S. et al. (2015) Friends or foes? Emerging insights from fungal interactions with plants. FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 40, 182207 3. Dubey, R.K. et al. (2016) Exploring rhizospheric interactions for agricultural sustainability: the need of integrative research on multi-trophic interactions. J. Clean Prod. 115, 362365 4. Zamioudis, C. and Pieterse, C.M. (2012) Modulation of host immunity by benecial microbes. Mol Plant Microbe 25, 139150 5. Bhardwaj, D. et al. (2014) Biofertilizers function as key player in sustainable agriculture by improving soil fertility, plant tolerance and crop productivity. Microb. Cell Fact. 13, 110 6. Kanchiswamy, C.N. et al. (2015) Chemical diversity of microbial volatiles and their potential for plant growth and productivity. Front. Plant Sci. 6, 151 7. Grigoriev, I. (2013) Fungal genomics for energy and environment. In Genomics of Soil- and Plant-Associated Fungi: Soil Biology (36) (Horwitz, B. et al., eds), In pp. 1127, Springer 8. Vejan, P. et al. (2016) Role of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria in agricultural sustainabilitya review. Molecules 21, 117 9. Moreira, H. et al. (2016) Mine land valorization through energy maize production enhanced by the application of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 23, 69406950 10. Gond, S.K. et al. (2015) Effect of bacterial endophytes on expression of defense genes in Indian popcorn against Fusarium moniliforme. Symbiobosis 66, 133140 11. Buscot, F. et al. (2000) Recent advances in exploring physiology and biodiversity of ectomycorrhizas highlight the functioning of these symbioses in ecosystems. New Phytol 24, 601614