Current Trends in Microbial Biotechnology for Sustainable Agriculture

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.

Ajar Nath Yadav is an Assistant Professor (Sr. Scale) in Department of Biotechnology, Dr. Khem Singh Gill Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India. Dr. Yadav has 174 publications, with h-index of 36, i10-index of 74, and 3121 citations (Google Scholar). Dr. Yadav has got 12 Best Paper Presentation Awards, 01 Young Scientist Award (NASI-Swarna Jayanti Purskar) and "Outstanding Teacher Award" Dr. Yadav has a long-standing interest in teaching at the UG, PG and PhD level and is involved in taking courses in microbiology, and microbial biotechnology. He has been serving as an editor/editorial board member and reviewer for different national and international peer-reviewed journals. He has lifetime membership of Association of Microbiologist in India, and Indian Science Congress Council, India.

Joginder Singh is Professor at Department of Microbiology, Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India. Previously, he has worked as Young Scientist at Microbial Biotechnology and Biofertilizer Laboratory, Department of Botany, Jai Narain Vyas University funded by the DST, Govt. of India. He has more than 60 research and review articles in the peer-reviewed journals, edited six books entitled and authored 30 chapters in edited books. He serves as a reviewer for many prestigious journals. He is an active member of various scientific societies and organizations including, Association of Microbiologists of India, K. K. Nanda Foundation for Advancement of Plant Sciences, Indian Society for Radiation Biology, International Phytotechnology Society and European Federation of Biotechnology.

Chhatarpal Singh is a President of Agro Environmental Development Society (AEDS), Majhra Ghat, Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, India. Dr. Singh is currently working in the field of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology; the research interest is agro environmental development through various scientific andinnovative approaches viz. Bio-formulation and crop residue mediated biochar applications for the improvement of soil fertility, and agriculture production. He has published various scientific research and reviews papers, book chapter and magazine articles in the field of agricultural and environmental microbiology. He has been honored by various organizations for his outstanding contribution in the field of Agricultural Microbiology. Dr. Singh has organized various International Conference and Training Programm in the fields of agriculture, environment and applied sciences.

Neelam Yadav is currently working on microbial diversity from diverse sources and their biotechnological applications agriculture and allied sectors. She has research interest in the area of beneficial microbiomes and their biotechnological application in agriculture, environment and allied sectors. In her credit 45 publications in different reputed international, national journals andpublishers. She is editor of five books in Springer, two in Elsevier and two in CRC Press, Taylor and Francis. She is Editor/associate editor/reviewer of different international and national journals. She has the lifetime membership of Association of microbiologist in India, Indian Science Congress Council, India and National Academy of Sciences, India.