Search

This monograph results from the 4th International Austrian-Israeli Technion Symposium cum Industrial Forum under the banner of the Austrian Technion Society initiative Technology for Peace - Science for Mankind, which was held in Vienna, 23 - 25 April 200 I, devoted to Preservation of the Quality of our Water Resources. The Symposium was a cooperative effort with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education and Science and Culture, and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Economy and Labor. The program was structured and managed by a joint Program Committee incorporating the editors of this monograph, who are faculty members from the Stephan and Nancy Grand Water Research Institute at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, and the University of Agricultural Sciences (Bodenkultur) of Vienna. The Symposium attracted participation from universities, research institutes, industries, and national authorities from Austria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Jordan, Palestinian Autonomy, Poland, Russia, Spain, Turkey, USA, and Uzbekistan. The Symposium topics were of major international interest, and talks were at a high professional level. Therefore, I have gladly accepted the initiative of the Symposium Program Committee to extend and expand manuscripts of special merit to chapters of this monograph, whose title is identical to that of the Symposium. Out of the 39 papers presented at the Symposium, 24 papers were selected for inclusion in this monograph, according to their scientific merit and quality of contribution to the overall subject. Those selected were expanded and subjected to peer review for inclusion in this Volume.

Biotechnology refers to the use or manipulation of an organism or parts of an organism. While the early applications were certainly simpler (though still relevant), modern plant biotechnology is primarily associated with molecular biology, cloning and genetic engineering. Over the last 50 years, several key discoveries have revolutionized the biological sciences and enabled the rapid growth of the biotechnology industry.This book gathers handpicked articles presented by national and international scientists at the International Conference on Biotechnology and Biological Sciences, BIOSPECTRUM 2017. It highlights the works of researchers and students in India and abroad on plant biotechnology and its applications in addressing various agricultural and food production-related issues.The respective papers explore a range of advances in plant biotechnology, e.g.: the cytotoxic potential of Moringaoleifera lam; the use of the entomo-pathogenic fungi Cordyceps sp. as unique and valuable sources of bioactive compounds; and strain improvement strategies for Cordyceps sp. In addition, they discuss the use of low-cost blue green algal biofertilizer comprising four blue green algal strains in rice fields; and the use of lignocellulosic materials as potential renewable energy resources for the production of fuels.This book will be extremely useful for researchers and students of biotechnology and plant science, providing an essential update on the latest findings and trends.

Mycology, the study of fungi, originated as a subdiscipline of botany and was a descrip­ tive discipline, largely neglected as an experimental science until the early years of this century. A seminal paper by Blakeslee in 1904 provided evidence for self­ incompatibility, termed'heterothallism', and stimulated interest in studies related to the control of sexual reproduction in fungi by mating-type specificities. Soon to follow was the demonstration that sexually reproducing fungi exhibit Mendelian inheritance and that it was possible to conduct formal genetic analysis with fungi. The names Burgeff, Kniep and Lindegren are all associated with this early period of fungal genetics research. These studies and the discovery of penicillin by Fleming, who shared a Nobel Prize in 1945, provided further impetus for experimental research with fungi. Thus began a period of interest in mutation induction and analysis of mutants for biochemical traits. Such fundamental research, conducted largely with Neurospora crassa, led to the one gene: one enzyme hypothesis and to a second Nobel Prize for fungal research awarded to Beadle and Tatum in 1958. Fundamental research in biochemical genetics was extended to other fungi, especially to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and by the mid-1960s fungal systems were much favored for studies in eukaryotic molecular biology and were soon able to compete with bacterial systems in the molecular arena.

The environment of our planet is degrading at an alarming rate because of non-sustainable urbanization, industrialization and agriculture. Unsustainable trends in relation to climate change and energy use, threats to public health, poverty and social exclusion, demographic pressure and ageing, management of natural resources, biodiversity loss, land use and transport still persist and new challenges are arising. Since these negative trends bring about a sense of urgency, short term action is required, whilst maintaining a longer term perspective. The main challenge is to gradually change our current unsustainable consumption and production patterns and the nonintegrated approach to policy-making. This book covers the broad area including potential of rhizospheric microorganisms in the sustainable plant development in anthropogenic polluted soils, bioremediation of pesticides from soil and waste water, toxic metals from soil, biological treatment of pulp and paper industry wastewater, sustainable solutions for agro processing waste management, solid waste management on climate change and human health, environmental impact of dyes and its remediation. Various methods for genotoxicity testing of environmental pollutants are also discussed and chapters on molecular detection of resistance and transfer genes in the environmental samples, biofilm formation by the environmental bacteria, biochemical attributes to assess soil ecosystem sustainability, application of rhizobacteria in biotechnology, role of peroxidases as a tool for the decolorization and removal of dyes and potential of biopesticides in sustainable agriculture. It offers a unique treatment of the subject, linking various protection strategies for sustainable development, describing the inter-relationships between the laboratory and field eco-toxicologist, the biotechnology consultant, environmental engineers and different international environmental regulatory andprotection agencies.

Findings concerning various clinical manifestations in cattle and sheep have made it clear that pestivirus infections in ruminants have an economic impact similar to hog cholera. Early data justified the classification of pestiviruses as a genus of nonarthopod-borne togaviruses. Since pestiviruses are difficult to work with, progress in understanding the virus and disease gradually came to a standstill because conventional techniques failed to yield further insights. About ten years ago interest in pestivirology was revived by strong impulses of modern biotechnology and a breakthrough in pathogenesis research, i.e. in vitro translation of BVD viral proteins and the ex experimental reproduction of mucosal disease in cattle. In order to summarize and discuss these exciting developments, an international community of pestivirus researchers came together in June 1990 in Hannover (Federal Republic of Germany) for the Symposium'Ruminant Pestivirus Infections: Virology, Pathogenesis and Perspectives on Prophylaxis'. This book is a selection of papers presented at this symposium.

This book presents research findings on newly discovered pests and diseases that may be impacted by climate change in the tropics; current management techniques including molecular diagnostics, integrated pest management (IPM), and agroecological approach; and recent technological advancements used as preventive and curative approaches to mitigate the effects of plant pests and diseases. Combining the expertise of leading researchers in the various fields, the book provides a useful reference for all relevant stakeholders. The proposed book is prepared with the aim of disseminating the current research development of emerging pests and diseases in the tropics in the era of climate change as well as new and eco-friendly pest and disease management technologies of tropical crops. The book is divided into three parts with sixteen chapters. Part 1: Advances in Tropical Insect Pest Management consists of five chapters describing the discovery, formulations, and applications of nature-based solutions such as natural enemies of insects, insect hormones, botanicals, and microorganisms for sustainable pest management. Part 2: Advances in Tropical Plant Disease Management consists of seven chapters, describing the causal agents of economically important diseases of tropical crops, rapid pathogen detection systems as well as effective and sustainable disease management strategies. Part 3: Advances in Other Tropical Pests Management consists of four chapters detailing the various eco-friendly pest management of vertebrates, mollusks, weeds, and emerging IR4.0 technologies in pest management. Ideas for future volumes on this subject: Volume II would be a follow-up to Volume I. It covers emerging pests and diseases of the tropics in greater depth, with a focus on specific hosts and diseases. Robust pests and disease management technologies utilized in crop protection in tropical areas by the farmers will be discussed as well.

This book discusses indigenous practices and obstacles faced by farmers conducting shifting cultivation (jhum) in North-east India and suggests methods of soil fertility improvement through e.g. microbial-mediated rejuvenation of forest fallows as a sustainable approach for mitigating deteriorating jhum lands and enhancing their productivity. Shifting cultivation has experienced a decline in crop productivity due to high population density and shortened fallow length that has impacted upon farmers'socio-economic status, and raised concerns regarding food security and environmental conservation. As shifting cultivation is conducted in moist tropical forests globally supporting millions of people, there is the potential to benefit many populations. This book is suitable for researchers, policy makers, development agencies, NGOs and farmers to formulate strategies that conserve the biodiversity, environment, soil health and traditions of tribal farming communities.

This book addresses sustainable solutions to problems in various environments using microorganisms dwelling in the soil and sustainable approaches applicable now and in the future. It focuses on the role of the soil microbiome—a rich community of beneficial bacteria and fungi—in green technology for a safe environment. This volume delves into the dynamics between the soil ecosystem and microorganisms; their interrelationships; and man's role in maintaining soil health and quality. The chapters cover topics such as pollution control, enhancing soil fertility, climate change mitigation, biocontrol of pathogens, and nanotechnology applications. The authors provide an expert analysis of how these microbial communities contribute to green technological sustainability. Readers will find contributions by renowned scholars who explore these themes through empirical research and practical case studies. The book highlights how these microorganisms can be major players in nature-based solutions while shifting perceptions from harmful to beneficial roles. Soil Microbiome in Green Technology Sustainability is essential reading for researchers, scholars, practitioners, students at all levels, and anyone interested in environmental science or biotechnology. It offers valuable insights into using microbial capabilities for sustainable development across various industrial sectors. This volume is particularly relevant for those involved in renewable energy, recycling, carbon capturing, storage technologies, or any field seeking eco-friendly solutions to global challenges.

Soil biota is an important and fundamental part of terrestrial ecology. The soil organisms include all those life forms which pass significant proportion of their life within a soil profile. The range of organisms may vary from microscopic entities to a macro level organisms. These organisms are the hidden beauties which take up the task of food chain regulation, organic matter decomposition, and nutrient enrichment of soil. Soil organisms can be grouped into three classes viz; chemical engineers (bacteria,fungi and protozoans), biological regulators (small soil invertebrates like nematodes and mesofauna) and ecosystem engineers (large soil invertebrates and small mammals). These creatures are mainly regulated by certain physical and biological factors. The physicochemical characteristics of soil can determine its biological diversity which influences the regulatory services in an ecosystem. This book showcases the mechanisms of biological dynamics at micro, meso and macro scales of the soil organisms. The introductory chapters of this book focus on understanding the faunistic diversity and its significance in soil, bioindicators in assessment of soil quality, consequences of various stressors on soil, highlighting the eves and odds associated with agricultural industry vis-à-vis environmental pollution and the possible influences on soil biota. Remaining chapters focus on the fungal internet, ecosystem cybernetics, and the potential remedial technologies for soil conservation, and novel remediation strategies to deal with degraded soils.

This book will focus on microbial services as an excellent strategy to face the current challenge of global agriculture, collecting the principal studies that used microbial services for improving cereal production, such as rice, beans, maize and wheat. This book will address studies and discussion about the bacterial world inside the plant; phytostimulator microorganisms; promotion of maize growth for biocontrol; filamentous fungi as plant growth promoters; mycorrhiza; sustainable agriculture effects on the microbiome; humic substances in combination with plant growth-promoting bacteria in rice; and the changes in plant metabolome induced by microorganisms under environmental stress.

In this exciting update, readers will learn how feeding direct-fed microbials (including eubiotics, postbiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics) is becoming increasingly widespread during food animal production. Animal production must improve efficiency of growth, and the use of direct-fed microbial and prebiotic additives to domestic animals has become widely accepted and utilized. The benefits of probiotic-type approaches in cattle, pigs, fish, and poultry, include improved general animal health, reduced foodborne pathogen populations, increased growth rate and feed efficiency, improved milk and egg production, and have been reported world-wide. Successes from probiotic approaches in multiple species have ensured their adoption; however, several fundamental questions remain. Early establishment and retention of an ecological balance in the gastrointestinal tract is an important first step for an external biological additive to be effective in young animals, suggesting that some of the benefits of direct-fed microbials may be due to an early establishment of a “normal” native gut microbial population. Research has indicated that the establishment of a normal population can enhance gut epithelial integrity, preventing inflammation and improving animal health. Thus, it is important that we understand the key processes that occur during the establishment of the gut microbial population that can impact gastrointestinal fermentation and provide protection against pathogens of the animals and of human consumers. Knowing how these processes work and how they impact animal energy and protein expenditures can guide further improvements of available and future commercial products. Exciting research opportunities are discussed in this book, examining different characteristics of DFMs that are fed to animals to meet different production demands in different production scenarios (e.g., beef versus dairy versus swine versusfin fish). The advent of molecular and next-generation sequencing offers methods of developing tailored DFMs, and of early detection of successful DFM establishment in the gut. These techniques will further deepen our insight into understanding the microbial population of the gut and how these populations impact animal health, food safety, and sustainability of animal-derived protein production.

In the context of rising adverse effects of climate change on agriculture, there is a need for advanced methods and practices to manage soils for production of food and energy. This book presents the latest advances in microbial processes that control plant growth, with focus on genomic tools, microbial interactions with the plant and soils habitats, mobilization of plant nutrients, agricultural waste management, biodegradation, bioremediation, carbon sequestration, land reclamation, plant growth promotion, suppression of plant pathogens, induced systemic resistance and tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses.

This book “Microbial Products for Future Industrialization” focuses on the exploitation of various advanced microbial and molecular biology technologies and their associated processes, especially the microbial-molecular-chemical nexus, for the future industrialization of emerging new microbial products. The descriptions given in its chapters take the reader through an entire journey of new emerging microbial products from lab to industry and provide new information that has not yet been fully exploited for future industrialization steps. This volume is a great resource for readers seeking a more comprehensive material covering the technical, economic, and societal aspects that impact bioprocessing of microbial products at the industrial level along with biotechnological intervention for better production of microbial products in near future. This book also encompasses advanced and updated information as well as future directions for young researchers and scientists, and academics who are working in the field of microbial product production related to sustainability.

This book delves into microbial production and its implications for various industries and presents the latest advancements in the field of bioactive compound production by microorganisms. Divided into 16 chapters, the book covers a wide range of topics, starting with the emerging trends in microbial production techniques, followed by the potential of fungi and algae in producing bioactive compounds, and the applications of bioactive compounds in medicine, agriculture, and industry. Contributions from expert scientists emphasize the significance of metabolic engineering and modern analytical techniques for the extraction, purification, and structural characterization of microbial bioactive compounds. The authors also present alternative technologies and methodologies for the recovery and extraction of these compounds from microbial sources and highlight the health-promoting benefits of natural plant-derived bioactive compounds. Particular attention is given to nanocarriers and their potential for managing the delivery of bioactive compounds in therapeutic applications. The importance of actinomycetes and their bioactive potential in the agricultural sector is also discussed. In this book, readers will also find out about the importance of microbial community dynamics in Antarctica, their ecological potential, and their industrial application. The last chapter of the book offers an industrial perspective of microbial pigments and their applications. This book is a valuable resource for researchers, academics, and industry professionals seeking to understand and harness the potential of microbial bioactive compounds for sustainable development, industrial applications, and improved human well-being.

This edited book aims to focus on microbial diversity in arid lands and deserts versus specific microbial assemblages associated with plants. The book explains ecological drivers that shape this diversity, how plant-associated microbiomes are selected, and their biotechnological potential are discussed. Diversity and functional redundancy of these associated PGPM make them very active in supporting plant improvement, health and resistance to drought, salt and other stresses, and these dimensions will be explored in this book. Implementing proper biotechnological applications of the arid and desert-adapted PGPM constitutes a sizeable challenge, and the book attempts to take up that challenge and help researchers in this field to gain a detailed understanding of PGPM from arid ecosystems. This book serves as a handbook for research workers, teachers, postgraduate students and extension personnel, other development workers, and policy planners engaged in arid zone development.

This book provides an overview of biosurfactants as biobased compounds, and highlights novel applications in several industries, including biotech, food processing, cosmetic, oil recovery/petroleum, pharmaceutical, detergent and textile. In the past few decades, biosurfactants have emerged as promising alternative surface-active agents to chemical surfactants due to their high biodegradability, low toxicity, multi-functionality under extreme pH and temperature conditions, long-term physicochemical stability, and their production from renewable sources. This book presents the fundamental aspects (classification, structure, genetics, and properties) of biosurfactants and how their features contribute to the global bioeconomy. Chapters from expert contributors discuss the latest screening, purification and characterization methods of new biosurfactants and biosurfactant-producing fungi and bacteria, including extremophiles. Particular attention is given to the role of biosurfactants in the formulation of sustainable agrochemicals, and their application as eco-friendly mosquitocidal agents, and biopesticides. Readers will discover a perspective on the antiviral activity of biosurfactants, in which the latest in vitro and in silico studies are discussed. Readers will also find more about the foremost therapeutic attributes of biosurfactant-mediated nanoparticles as next-generation drug delivery systems. Given its breadth, this book appeals to a wide readership, from students and academic researchers to scientists and professionals from industry, interested in the study and application of microbial surfactants.

This contributed volume focuses on the latest innovations in the field of marine microbiology. Marine ecosystems are dynamic natural resources and home to very primitive life forms. They include open sea, deep sea, coastal marine ecosystem mudflats, seagrass meadows, mangroves, and rocky intertidal systems. This book deals with the various aspects of marine microbiology including diverse habitats, associated microorganisms, their adaptations, ecological interactions, biogeochemical cycling, and industrial applications. It also discusses the issue of pollution in oceans and put forward available strategies for its eco-friendly solution. In recent years, extensive research, advanced methodologies, and high-throughput instrumentation have resulted in voluminous data and information that require proper compilation and worldwide sharing. From this perspective, the book is a perfect documentation of primary and secondary data-based information on the latest research findings, case studies, experiences, and innovations in the field of marine microbiology. The book is of great use to students, researchers and professionals studying marine sciences.

This edited volume is the first book that explicitly explains the link between the extraordinarily small-scale microbial processes and the growth and yield attributes of millet crops. This book includes chapters emphasizing on the effects of rhizosphere biology on long-term millet crop management. Millets are a collection of small-grained cereal grasses that are grown for human carbohydrate needs. They are among the oldest crops, mainly divided into two groups: major and small millets based on seed size. Major millets are composed of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum); while small millets are composed of six species that includes finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.)), little millet (Panicum sumatrense), kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum (L.)), foxtail millet (Setaria italica (L.)), barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea (L.)), and proso millet (Panicum miliaceum (L.). These crops are earlier considered as orphan crops, but recently due to their nutritional values it is gaining the importance. Various reports are published based on role of rhizosphere on growth and health of these crops. The rhizosphere being a dynamic interface among the plant roots and soil microbes provides a number of advantages to the millets too. The soil properties in rhizospheric region are also different as compared to the bulk soil. This book discovers the functional attributes of rhizosphere in promoting the healthy growth of millet crop and achieving higher yield during the changing climatic condition. This book is of interest to university teachers, scientists working in the millets, and policymakers in agricultural departments. Also, the book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of agriculture, biotechnology, microbiology, genetics, and soil science.

This edited compilation explores role of climate change in plant stresses, their mitigators, their role, mode of action and, application. The book discusses molecular and physiological mechanisms involved in plant stress physiology and the working mechanism of stress mitigators. It collates information from latest research conducted on plant stress mitigators, and highlights new strategies related to beneficial microorganisms that support plants under various stresses. These mitigators have gained attention of both farmers and industry for their application in organic farming. Plant stress mitigators have a huge global market. They follow different action mechanism for enhancing plant growth and stress tolerance capacity including nutrient solubilizing and mobilizing, bicontrol activity against plant pathogens, phytohormone production, soil conditioning and many more unrevealed mechanisms. This book elaborates stress alleviation action of different plant stress mitigators on crops grown under optimal and sub-optimal growing conditions. It addresses mainly three subthemes -- (1) Climate change impacts on plant and soil health (2) Microbe mediated plant stress mitigation and (3) Advances in plant stress mitigation. The book is a relevant reading for Post graduate students, researchers in the field of plant stress physiology, Plant-microbe interaction, biochemistry and plant molecular biology and industries related to seed production, biofertilizer and biopesticides.

Endophytic Association: What, Why, and How focuses on the endophytic association of plants, how they have originated inside the host, their importance, and how they are beneficial for the environment, as well as humans. The book discusses how using endophytic microbes in agricultural fields can be enriched without impacting environment negatively, and how they can be utilized for pharmaceutical purposes, including bioremediation. It includes advanced and up-to-date information, as well as future directions for young researchers and scientists who are working in the field of agriculture, pharmaceuticals, bio nanotechnology and bioremediation of environmental contaminants for environmental protection and sustainable development. - Details the underlying mechanisms of endophyte-host association and their signaling mechanisms - Describes numerous, successful field studies on the different applications of nanoparticles produced by endophytes (bio-nanotechnology) for sustainable development - Presents recent advances and challenges in endophyte-associated bio-remediation research and applications for human health - Provides information on bioactive compounds produced by endophytes for pharmaceutical purposes

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 beneficialto 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.

Diversity of microbial communities in soil and their multifaceted functionalities has paved the way for utilization of microbes in industries. This book comprises of soil microbial diversity and role of microbes in agro-industry.This volume is the compilation of the updated research from resource persons on impact of soil microbial diversity like increasing soil fertility, CO2 sequestration, and understanding soil microbial communities through cutting edge technology. Besides, the book embodies microbes renewed role in production of bioplastics, nutraceuticals, dairy products, drugs from macro-fungi, potential economic development from agrowaste or fish waste, and advance approaches in bioprospecting of biocatalyst and biosensing of secondary metabolites. This will not only improve knowledge but also enhance research on exploiting soil microbes in industry or agro-industry. The proposed book, Advances in Agricultural and Industrial Microbiology, Vol I can be very effective tobridge the gap between vastness of literatures available pertaining to agricultural and industrial microbiology and their applications with authoritative chapters containing latest updates available in this area of science.The content of the book is an exhaustive reference resource for soil microbiologist, agricultural scientists, academia, policymakers, industrial microbiologists pursuing teaching and research in these domains.

This book offers an overview of the current knowledge on beta glucanase enzymes derived from actinobacterial source, their structure, functions and industrial applications. It summarizes the exploitation of actinomycetes, assay methods for beta glucanase screening, structural characterisation, genetic engineering, protein engineering, strategies for purification, characterisation and finally how to synthesize a hybrid enzyme of beta glucanases.Enzyme beta glucanases have considerable interest in industrial biotechnology owing to its distinct effect on the hydrolysis of insoluble beta glucan molecules and applications in particular industrial sectors such as food, feed and beverages industries. The beta glucanases are characterized extensively in microorganisms viz. bacteria, fungi and also in plants. A wide varieties of actinobacterial β- glucanases have exclusively active on β-glucan substrates and cleave the mixed linkage β-glucan chains at different points. This is significant for picking precise substrates for the assay of each type of enzymes within this enzyme groups. The well recognized specificity and mechanism of action within the enormous substrates allow to understand that most of them are varied from cellulases, excluding β-1,4-glucanases. The progress in genetic and protein engineering in actinobacterial beta glucanases improves the stability, activity and thermodynamic properties in relation with industrial relevance. This book will be useful for researchers and students engaged in industrial biotechnology, enzyme production, molecular biology, protein engineering and many more.

This book is first part of the 3 volume set focusing on basic and advanced methods for using microbiology as an entrepreneurial venture. This volume explains the entrepreneurship skills for production, cost-benefit analysis and marketing of bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, bio-insecticides, seaweed liquid biofertilizer, and phosphate solubilizers. Chapters cover the applications of microorganisms in small and large scale production to achieve a sustainable output. The book provides essential knowledge and working business protocols from all related disciplines in agribusiness, organic farming, and economic integration. This book is useful to graduate students, research scholars and postdoctoral fellows, and teachers who belong to different disciplines via Botany, Agriculture, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Plant Pathology, and Horticulture. Next two volumes are focused on food and industrial microbiology.

Carbon stabilization involves to capturing carbon from the atmosphere and fix it in the forms soil organic carbon stock for a long period of time, it will be present to escape as a greenhouse gas in the form of carbon dioxide. Soil carbon storage is an important ecosystem service, resulting from interactions of several ecological processes. This process is primarily mediated by plants through photosynthesis, with carbon stored in the form of soil organic carbon. Soil carbon levels have reduced over decades of conversion of pristine ecosystems into agriculture landscape, which now offers the opportunity to store carbon from air into the soil. Carbon stabilization into the agricultural soils is a novel approach of research and offers promising reduction in the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. This book brings together all aspects of soil carbon sequestration and stabilization, with a special focus on diversity of microorganisms and management practices of soilin agricultural systems. It discusses the role of ecosystem functioning, recent and future prospects, soil microbial ecological studies, rhizosphere microflora, and organic matter in soil carbon stabilization. It also explores carbon transformation in soil, biological management and its genetics, microbial transformation of soil carbon, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs), and their role in sustainable agriculture. The book offers a spectrum of ideas of new technological inventions and fundamentals of soil sustainability. It will be suitable for teachers, researchers, and policymakers, undergraduate and graduate students of soil science, soil microbiology, agronomy, ecology, and environmental sciences

The challenges to meet the food requirement of the burgeoning population and stabilized productivity of agriculture lands can only be met by a second green revolution. After steadily declining for over a decade hunger is on the rise again, affecting million people of the global population. Therefore, crop yields must be increased substantially over the coming decades to keep pace with global food demand. The plant rhizosphere is a multidimensional and dynamic ecological environment of complicated microbe–plant interactions for harnessing essential macro and micronutrients from a limited nutrient pool. This book will showcase naturally-occurring endophyte which can be explored for nutrient mineralization and mobilization for sustainable agriculture. This will cover recent trends, prospects, critical commentaries and advancement in the research area focusing on naturally-occurring beneficial endophytic microbes. Thus, it is proposed to bring out new scientific insights and frontiers of research that have exploration of endophyte for mineral nutrient management in soil and crops. The chapters are contributed by leading scientists across the globe. The book will be useful to agronomists, microbiologists, ecologists, plant pathologists, molecular biologists, environmentalists, policy makers, conservationists, and NGOs working for the crop production and productivity development and consequently over all agricultural significance.

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.

This book discusses soil and recycling management in the Anthropocene era. Nitrogen shortage is one of nature's most important productivity regulators, but since the advent of technical nitrogen fixation (TNF), biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) input has nearly doubled, particularly in grass and arable lands covering over 13 million km2 of the Earth's surface. This book explores how monoculture grass, arable lands and forests are often over fertilized with TNF, animal slurries, sewage sludge, or municipally produced composts, and as a result, flora and fauna that have adapted to a nitrogen shortage in the soil will have to adjust to a surplus; those that are unable to adapt will disappear.

Sugarcane enjoys a prominent position among agro-industrial crops and is commercially grown in 115 tropical and subtropical countries around the world. However, fluctuations in sugar prices have forced the sugarcane industry worldwide to broaden its revenue base by moving from single-commodity manufacturing to a range of value-added products. Utilizing the by-products in an innovative manner to create value-added products is the new course of action for sugar-producing countries. For many years sugarcane was regarded as a single-product crop, i.e., only useful for producing sugar. Its actual potential is now increasingly being recognised by the industry and there is a growing trend toward the manufacturing of allied products from sugarcane. Therefore, the focus is now on the establishment of sugar-agro-industry complexes, processing not just sugar but a range of other products. This book provides a comprehensive overview of sugarcane not only as asource of sweetening agents but also for many other uses, including as a source of bio-energy. It also explores the trend of sugar consumption and suggests practices to curb the consumption of sugar products in order to tackle obesity and reduce public health costs. The book underscores the need to diversify sugarcane and highlights means of doing so, while also addressing various innovations and technologies being developed in connection with sugar, sugar derivatives, and sugar industry by-products for sustainable utilization in the sugar-agro industry. Accordingly, it offers a valuable resource for professionals and R&D units in the sugar industry, and for students of agronomy and related fields.

This book focuses on agricultural waste treatment and renewable energy production from the perspective of anaerobic digestion. It covers topics on anaerobic digestion processes and practices in various types of biogas plant construction and management and systematically addresses the principle and main features of three kinds of anaerobic digestion systems: household digesters, biogas septic tanks, and biogas plants. Instructive, informative and easy to understand, the book offers a valuable asset for researchers, technicians, graduate students and managerial personnel working in the areas of renewable energy, agricultural ecological engineering and the treatment and utilization of agricultural wastes.

Plants create a dynamic micro-biosphere in the soil, around the roots, called as ‘rhizosphere', which harbors diverse number of microorganisms for sustaining their growth and development. A soil with diverse and multi-traits microbial communities is considered healthy to enhance crop productivity. In the last decades, rhizosphere biology has gained attention due to unraveling of new mechanisms, processes and molecules in the rhizosphere that contributes towards the promotion of plant productivity. The rhizospheric microbes and associated processes are being utilized for harnessing potential of soils in effective and sustainable functioning in the agro-ecosystems. Broadly, the book discusses rhizospheric microbes and their role in modulating functions of soil and crop plant. Specifically, it highlights conventional and modern aspects of rhizosphere microbes such as – microbiome in the rhizosphere, microbes as an indicator and promoter of soil health, rhizosphere microbes as biofertilizer, biostimulator and biofortifyer, microbial signaling in the rhizosphere, recent tools in deciphering rhizobiome, and regulatory mechanisms for commercialization of biofertilizer, biopesticide and biostimulator. The book is useful for agriculture scientist, biotechnologist, plant pathologist, mycologist, and microbiologist, farming community, scientist of R&D organization, as well as teaching community, researcher and student and policy maker.

This book discusses various aspects of bioactive natural products employed in the agrochemical and agriculture sectors. It covers the use of plants, microorganisms, and microbial metabolites as eco-friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable alternatives to chemicals in the field of agriculture. Written by active researchers and academics, the book highlights state-of-art products in the field, as well as the gaps, challenges, and obstacles associated with the use of plants, microbes and their products. Given its scope, it is a valuable resource for the scientific community and professionals in enterprises wanting insights into the latest developments and advances in the context of biological products, including their applications, traditional uses, modern practices, and strategies to harness their full potential.

The book explores the fundamental principles, advances in forensic techniques, and its application on forensic DNA analysis. The book is divided into three modules; the first module provides the historical prospect of forensic DNA typing and introduces fundamentals of forensic DNA typing, methodology, and technical advancements, application of STRs, and DNA databases for forensic DNA profile analysis. Module 2 examines the problems and challenges encountered in extracting DNA and generating DNA profiles. It provides information on the methods and the best practices for DNA isolation from forensic biological samples and human remains like ancient DNA, DNA typing of skeletal remains and disaster victim identification, the importance of DNA typing in human trafficking, and various problems associated with capillary electrophoresis. Module 3 emphasizes various technologies that are based on SNPs, STRs namely Y-STR, X-STR, mitochondrial DNA profiling in forensic science.Module 4 explores the application of non-human forensic DNA typing of domestic animals, wildlife forensics, plant DNA fingerprinting, and microbial forensics. The last module discusses new areas and alternative methods in forensic DNA typing, including Next-Generation Sequencing, and its utility in forensic science, oral microbes, and forensic DNA phenotyping. Given its scope, the book is a useful resource in the field of DNA fingerprinting for scientists, forensic experts, and students at the postgraduate level.

About 15 years ago, we asked ourselves why the methods developed by the research institutions for the management of pests were almost not used by small landholder farmers. It seemed obvious to us that conventional pest control –called “Integrated Pest Management”– was based on a reductionist approach. In reviewing the literature on the subject, we found that our concern was not new or unique. The agreement of some authors with our ideas reinforced our efforts to find a holistic approach to pest management. We took two central ideas to develop the holistic approach: First, pest management actions must put the farmer at the center of the system. Second, pest management must consider not only both pests but the other important components of the system in question. This approach based on the farmers and the systems in which they are immersed, is called “Holistic Pest Management” or HPM. In this book, I present the philosophy and practice of HPM, a new paradigm of pest management.

This book provides a straightforward and easy-to-understand overview of beneficial plant-bacterial interactions. It features a wealth of unique illustrations to clarify the text, and each chapter includes study questions that highlight the important points, as well as references to key experiments. Since the publication of the first edition of Beneficial Plant-Bacterial Interactions, in 2015, there has been an abundance of new discoveries in this area, and in recent years, scientists around the globe have begun to develop a relatively detailed understanding of many of the mechanisms used by bacteria that facilitate plant growth and development. This knowledge is gradually becoming an integral component of modern agricultural practice, with more and more plant growth-promoting bacterial strains being commercialized and used successfully in countries throughout the world. In addition, as the world's population continues to grow, the pressure for increased food production will intensify, while at the same time, environmental concerns, mean that environmentally friendly methods of food production will need to replace many traditional agricultural practices such as the use of potentially dangerous chemicals. The book, intended for students, explores the fundamentals of this new paradigm in agriculture, horticulture, and environmental cleanup.

The Gram-positive and spore-forming Bacilli are the most dominant group of bacteria that exist in various ecological niches on the earth. They represent one of the most important unmapped pools of biodiversity with immense potential of applications in agriculture, environment, and industry. As these bacteria are highly tolerant to stressful environment and enhance plant tolerance to harsh environment such as salinity, drought, and heavy metal toxicity, plant-associated Bacilli have high potential for promoting sustainable crop production. Many species of Bacilli are being commercially used as phytostimulator and biofertilizer. Some of them are applied as biopesticide for protecting crop plants from phytopathogens and insect pests. The Bacillus-based products are becoming popular in ecologically sound and climate resilient agricultural production system. In fact, Bacillus and allied species based formulations are already dominating the biopesticides market, although, to compete with other formulations and chemical alternatives, the biology of Bacillus had to be understood from perspective of such applications. Our understanding of the biology and molecular-basis of the beneficial effects of plant-associated Bacilli has greatly been progressed in recent years through genomics, metagenomics, post-genomics and metabolomics studies. The volume two of the series Bacilli and Agrobiotechnology comprehensively reviews and updates current knowledge of Bacilli as phytostimulant and biological control of plant pests. Better understanding the biology, ecology and mechanism of action of the beneficial strains of Bacilli will play a role in the development of products to support green biotechnology in agriculture and industries.

This reference work presents an authoritative review of endophytes and their applications to human welfare. Endophytes have become a class of interesting and curious microorganisms due to their intimate intra- and intercellular association with plants for competence, survival and reproduction. They can be bacteria or fungi, and they are usually non-pathogenic to their host. Endophytes have important applications in agriculture and industry, namely, they can help with plant growth, act as biocontrol agents and biosurfactant and secondary metabolite producers, and they are also rich sources of bioactive natural products. Novel and beneficial effects of endophytes are constantly emerging, and this book, divided into four sections, provides readers with the latest developments in this fast expanding field. In the first section, readers will discover the biology of the major groups of endophytes, followed by a summary of conventional and molecular tools for endophytes'identification in Section II. The production of high-value metabolites by endophytes will be explored in the third section of this book, and in the final section, readers will find several case studies, examples and prospects for endophytes'application in agriculture and industry. Written by leading international authors, this reference work will appeal to a wide readership, from students and researchers in the field of botany, biotechnology and agriculture to professionals interested in the production and applications of endophytic metabolites.

Today, microbiology is a rapidly growing discipline in the life sciences, and the technologies are evolving on a virtually daily basis. Next-generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized microbial analysis, and can help us understand the biology and genomic diversity of various bacterial species with significant impacts on agro-ecosystems. In addition, advances in molecular biology and microbiology techniques hold the potential to improve the productivity and sustainability of agriculture and forestry.This new volume addresses the role of microbial genomics in understanding the living systems that exist in the soil and their interactions with plants, an aspect that is also important for crop improvement. The topics covered focus on a deeper and clearer understanding of how microbes cause diseases, the genome-based development of novel antibacterial agents and vaccines, and the role of microbial genomics in crop improvement and agroforestry. Givenits scope, the book offers a valuable resource for researchers and students of agriculture and infectious biology.

This book discusses the role of salt in current agricultural approaches, including the low salt tolerance of agricultural crops and trees, impact of saline soils, and salt-resistant plants. Halophytes are extremely salt tolerant plants, which are able to grow and survive under salt at concentrations as high as 5 g/l by maintaining negative water potential. The salt-tolerant microbes inhabiting the rhizospheres of halophytes may contribute to their salt tolerance, and the rhizospheres of halophytic plants provide an ideal opportunity for isolating various groups of salt-tolerant microbes that could enhance the growth of different crops under salinity stress. The book offers an overview of salt-tolerant microbes'ability to increase plant tolerance to salt to facilitate plant growth, the potential of the halophytes'rhizospheres as a reservoir of beneficial salt-tolerant microbes, their future application as bio-inoculants in agriculture and a valuable resource for an alternative way of improving crop tolerance to salinity and promoting saline soil-based agriculture. This special collection of reviews highlights some of the recent advances in applied aspects of plant (halophytes)-microbe interactions and their contribution towards eco-friendly approaches saline soil-based agriculture.

This book explores the significance of soil microbial diversity to understand its utility in soil functions, ecosystem services, environmental sustainability, and achieving the sustainable development goals. With a focus on agriculture and environment, the book highlights the importance of the microbial world by providing state-of-the-art technologies for examining the structural and functional attributes of soil microbial diversity for applications in healthcare, industrial biotechnology, and bioremediation studies. In seven chapters, the book will act as a primer for students, environmental biotechnologists, microbial ecologists, plant scientists, and agricultural microbiologists. Chapter 1 introduces readers to the soil microbiome, and chapter 2 discusses the below ground microbial world. Chapter 3 addresses various methods for exploring microbial diversity, chapter 4 discusses the genomics methods, chapter 5 provides the metaproteomics and metatranscriptomics approaches and chapter 6 details the bioinformatics tools for soil microbial community analysis, and chapter 7 concludes the text with future perspectives on further soil microbial uses and applications.

Phytoplasma III is the last of three books in the series covering all the aspects of phytoplasma-associated diseases. Phytoplasmas are a major limiting factor in the quality and productivity of many ornamental, horticultural and economically important agriculture crops worldwide, and losses due to phytoplasma diseases have disastrous consequences for farming communities. As there is no effective cure for these diseases, management strategies focus-on exclusion, minimizing their spread by insect vectors and propagation materials, and developing host plant resistance. This book provides an update on genomics, effectors and pathogenicity factors toward a better understanding of phytoplasma-host metabolic interactions. It offers a comprehensive overview of biological, serological and molecular characterization of the phytoplasmas, including recently developed approaches in diagnostics, such as transcriptomics studies, which have paved the way for analyzing the gene expression pattern in phytoplasmas on infection and revealed the up-regulation of genes associated with hormonal response, transcription factors, and signaling genes. Although phytoplasmas remain the most poorly characterized pathogens, recent studies have identified virulence factors that induce typical disease symptoms and have characterized the unique reductive evolution of the genome. Reviewing the advances in cultivation in axenic media together with the perspectives for future research to reduce the global incidence of these pathogens and the associated agricultural losses, the book is a valuable resource for plant pathologists, researchers in agriculture and PhD students.

Microbial communities and their multi-functionalities play a crucial role in the management of soil and plant health, and thus help in managing agro-ecology, the environment and agriculture. Microorganisms are key players in N-fixation, nutrient acquisition, carbon sequestration, plant growth promotion, pathogen suppression, induced systemic resistance and tolerance against stresses, and these parameters are used as indicators of improved crop productivity and sustainable soil health. Beneficial belowground microbial interactions in the rhizosphere help plants combat abiotic challenges in the unfavourable environmental conditions of native soils. These microorganisms and their products offer potential solutions for agriculture in problematic areas since they are able to degrade xenobiotic compounds, pesticides and toxic chemicals and help remediate heavy metals in the rhizosphere and so make deteriorated soils suitable for crop production. This book compiles the latest research on the role of microbes in the rhizosphere and agro-ecology, covering interaction mechanisms, microbe-mediated crop production, plant and soil health management, food and nutrition, nutrient recycling, land reclamation, clean water systems, agro-waste management, biodegradation, bioremediation, biomass and bioenergy, sanitation and rural livelihood security. It is a comprehensive reference resource for agricultural activists, policymakers, environmentalists and advisors working for governments, non-governmental organizations and industries, helping them update their knowledge of this important, but often neglected, research area.

Powdery mildew disease is the fourth most widespread disease in cruciferous crops and a devastating effect, causing significant losses in terms of quality and quantity in rapeseed and mustard. Powdery mildews are also a favourable host-pathosystem model for basic research on host–parasite interactions, developmental morphology, cytology, and molecular biology to identify the effector proteins/genes governing different biological functions. This book provides a comprehensive overview of all the published information in the field for researchers, teachers, students, extension experts, industrialists and farmers, and includes illustrations, photographs, graphs, figures, tables, histograms, micrographs, electron micrographs, and flow charts to aid understanding. It also describes standardized reducible techniques. The book discusses each disease in detail, describing the distribution, symptomatology, host range, yield losses and disease assessment, as well as the taxonomy, morphology, phylogeny, variability, sporulation, survival and perpetuation of the pathogen. Further, it explores topics such as spore germination; infection; pathogenesis; disease cycle; epidemiology; forecasting; fine structures; host resistance; biochemical, histological, genetic and molecular aspects such as cloning and mapping of R genes; sources of resistance; disease resistance breeding; and the genetics of host-parasite interactions and disease management.

Recent changes in the pattern of agricultural practices from use of hazardous pesticides to natural (organic) cultivation has brought into focus the use of agriculturally important microorganisms for carrying out analogous functions. The reputation of plant growth promoting rhizomicroorganisms (PGPRs) is due to their antagonistic mechanisms against most of the fungal and bacterial phytopathogens. The biocontrol potential of agriculturally important microorganisms is mostly attributed to their bioactive secondary metabolites. However, low shelf life of many potential agriculturally important microorganisms impairs their use in agriculture and adoption by farmers. The focal theme of this book is to highlight the potential of employing biosynthesized secondary metabolites (SMs) from agriculturally important microorganisms for management of notorious phytopathogens, as a substitute of the currently available whole organism formulations and also as alternatives to hazardous synthetic pesticides. Accordingly, we have incorporated a comprehensive rundown of sections which particularly examine the SMs synthesized, secreted and induced by various agriculturally important microorganisms and their applications in agriculture. Section 1 includes discussion on biosynthesized antimicrobial secondary metabolites from fungal biocontrol agents. This section will cover the various issues such as development of formulation of secondary metabolites, genomic basis of metabolic diversity, metabolomic profiling of fungal biocontrol agents, novel classes of antimicrobial peptides. The section 1 will also cover the role of these secondary metabolites in antagonist-host interaction and application of biosynthesized antimicrobial secondary metabolites for management of plant diseases. Section 2 will discuss the biosynthesized secondary metabolites from bacterial PGPRs, strain dependent effects on plant metabolome profile, bio-prospecting various isolates of bacterial PGPRs for potential secondary metabolites and non-target effects of PGPR on microbial community structure and functions. Section 3 encompasses synthesis of antimicrobial secondary metabolites from beneficial endophytes, bio-prospecting medicinal and aromatic hosts and effect of endophytic SMs on plants under biotic and biotic stress conditions.

This comprehensive study of poultry meat safety offers readers the most up-to-date information on food safety concerns in poultry meat production. Chapters address recent topics of interest such as organic poultry production, antimicrobial resistant pathogens in poultry, antibiotic usage in poultry production, and pre- and post- harvest approaches to improving poultry meat safety.The last couple of decades have observed a significant increase in poultry meat production in the US. However, poultry meat is a potential source of foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella, Campylobacter spp. and pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC linked to human infections), leading to economic losses to the poultry industry and impacting public health. Advances in knowledge in microbiology, molecular biology, immunology and “omics” fields have intensified efforts to improve the microbiological safety of poultry by targeting virulence mechanisms of the pathogens, developing vaccines and improving gut health in chickens. Moreover, due to the emergence of multidrug resistance in poultry-borne pathogens, and growth of organic poultry production, there exists significant interest for developing natural strategies for controlling pathogens in chickens. This edited volume provides insight into these strategies and covers other material of interest to food microbiologists, public health personnel, and poultry scientists. Readers of various backgrounds will appreciate its incorporation of recent developments not covered in other publications on the subject.

This volume reviews various facets of Agrobacterium biology, from modern aspects of taxonomy and bacterial ecology to pathogenesis, bacterial cell biology, plant and fungal transformation, natural transgenics, and biotechnology. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is the most extensively utilized platform for generating transgenic plants, but modern biotechnology applications derive from more than 40 years of intensive basic scientific research. Many of the biological principles established by this research have served as models for other bacteria, including human and animal pathogens. Written by leading experts and highlighting recent advances, this volume serves both as an introduction to Agrobacterium biology for students as well as a more comprehensive text for research scientists.

In any ecosystem, plant and microbe interaction is inevitable. They not only co-exist but also support each other's survival and provide sustenance in stressful environments. Agro-ecosystems in many regions around the globe are affected by high temperatures, soil salinity/alkalinity, low pH and metal toxicity. High salinity and severe draught are other major constraints affecting agricultural practices and also plants in the wild. A major limiting factor affecting global agricultural productivity is environmental stresses. Apart from decreasing yield, they also have a devastating impact on plant growth. Plants battle with various kind of stresses with the help of symbiotic associations with the rhizospheric microbes. Naturally occuring plant-microbe interactions facilitate the survival of plants under these stressful conditions.The rhizosphere consists of several groups of microbes, plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) is one such group of microbes that assists plants in coping with multiple stresses and also promote plant growth. These efficient microbes support the stress physiology of the plants and can be extremely useful in solving agricultural as well food- security problems.This book provides a detailed, holistic description of plant and microbe interaction. It elucidates various mechanisms of nutrient management, stress tolerance and enhanced crop productivity in the rhizosphere, discussing The rhizospheric flora and its importance in enhancement of plant growth, nutrient content, yield of various crops and vegetables as well as soil fertility and health. Divided into two volumes, the book addresses fundamentals, applications as well as research trends and new prospects for agricultural sustainability. Volume 1: Stress Management and Agricultural Sustainability, includes chapters offering a broad overview of plant stress management with the help of microbes. It also highlights the contribution of enzymatic and molecular eventsoccurring in the rhizosphere due to plant microbe interactions, which in turn help in the biological control of plant disease and pest attacks. Various examples of plant microbe interaction in rhizospheric soil are elaborated to facilitate the development of efficient indigenous microbial consortia to enhance food and nutritional security. Providing a comprehensive information source on microbes and their role in agricultural and soil sustainability, this timely research book is of particular interest to students, academics and researchers working in the fields of microbiology, soil microbiology, biotechnology, agronomy, and the plant protection sciences, as well as for policy makers in the area of food security and sustainable agriculture.

This book provides an essential update on the startling array of novel insecticidal toxins and drugs produced by the fascinating bacterium Photorhabdus. The respective chapters describe everything from the detailed molecular biology of the ‘Toxin complexes'or Tc's to the complexity of insect immune response in relation to both the bacterium and its nematode vector. The volume covers both primary (toxin production and regulation) and secondary (natural product synthesis and regulation) metabolism and emphasises the potential use of toxins and drugs in both agriculture and medicine. It also discusses in detail two totally novel quorum sensing mechanisms and the likely role of LuxR solos in sensing the presence of different bacterial hosts. Lastly, the book explores the unique case of P. asymbiotica, which seems to have evolved the ability to infect both insects and humans. This synthesis proves that Photorhabdus truly does offer a ‘gold mine'for the discovery ofnovel insecticidal proteins and novel natural products with potential uses in agriculture and medicine alike.

This book puts an updated account on functional aspects of multiphasic microbial interactions within and between plants and their ecosystem. Multipronged interaction in the soil microbial communities with the plants constitute a relay of mechanisms that make profound changes in plant and its micro-environment in the rhizopshere at physiological, biochemical and molecular levels. In agro-ecological perspectives, such interactions are known to recycle nutrients and regulate signalling molecules, phytohormones and other small molecules that help plant growth and development. Such aspects are described deeply in this book taking examples from various crop plants and microbial systems. Authors described the most advantageous prospects of plant-microbe interaction in terms of inoculation of beneficial microorganisms (microbial inoculants) with the plants in which microbes proliferate in the root rhizosphere system and benefit plants'with definite functions like fixation of nitrogen, solubilization and mobilization of P, K, Zn and production of phytohormones. The subject of this book and the content presented herein has great relevance to the agro-ecological sustainability of crop plants with the help of microbial interactions. The chapters presented focus on defining and assessing the impact of beneficial microbial interactions on different soils, crops and abiotic conditions. This volume entails about exploiting beneficial microbial interactions to help plants under abiotic conditions, microbe-mediated induced systemic tolerance, role of mycorrhizal interactions in improving plant tolerance against stresses, PGPR as nutrient mobilizers, phytostimulants, antagonists and biocontrol agents, plant interactions with Trichoderma and other bioagents for sustainable intensification in agriculture, cyanobacteria as PGPRs, plant microbiome for crop management and phytoremediation and rhizoremediation using microbial communities. The overall content entrust advanced knowledge and applicability of diversified biotechnological, techno-commercial and agro-ecological aspects of microbial interactions and inoculants as inputs, which upon inoculation with crop plants benefit them in multiple ways.

This book focuses on multiple plant stresses and the molecular basis of adaptation, addressing the molecular mechanism and adaptation for both abiotic and biotic stresses.Ensuring the yield of crop plants grown under multiple individual and/or combined stresses is essential to sustaining productivity. In this regard, the development of broad-spectrum stress-tolerant plants is important. However, to date information has largely been compiled only on the individual stress tolerance mechanisms, and the mechanisms behind plants'tolerance to two or more individual or simultaneous stresses are not fully understood. Especially combinatorial stress, a new stress altogether, has only recently been made the object of systematic study.Now several research groups around the world have begun exploring the concurrent stress tolerance mechanisms under both biotic and abiotic stress combinations. This book presents contributions from various experts, highlighting the findingsof their multiple individual and concurrent stress tolerance dissection studies.