Fruit Microbiome: Emerging Aspects in Postharvest Disease Management covers all areas of microbial ecology and serves as a basis for innovative methods of microbiome engineering and the incorporation of probiotics on fruit nutritional quality. Emphasizing the latest advancements in the fruit microbiome and applications in biocontrol perspectives, the book includes advanced and recent insights into the development of microbial pesticides that will be helpful for those seeking ways to protect and improve plant health and yield protection.
Phyto-microbiome plays a crucial role in maintaining the health and productivity of all plants, including fruit plants whose yield contributes to global food security. Fruit also harbors numerous microbial communities as an epiphytes or endophytes, and theses microbes play a vital role in protecting them from pathogen invasion during pre-or- postharvest storage. Further, the development and commercialization of several biocontrol products derived from fruits microbiome have proven relevant in broader plant disease management.
Dr. Ajay Kumar is currently working as an assistant professor at Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida, India. Dr. Kumar recently completed his tenure as a visiting scientist from Agriculture Research Organization, Volcani Center, Israel. He has published more than 175 research, review articles, and book chapters in international and national journals. He serves as an associate editor for
Frontiers in Microbiology and as guest editor for various journals such as
Plants, Microorganisms, and Sustainability. Dr. Kumar has also edited more than 32 books with the leading publishers such as Elsevier, Springer, and Wiley. Dr. Kumar has wide area of research experience, especially in the field of plant-microbe Interactions, microbial biocontrol, Postharvest management of fruits, microbial endophytes related to medicinal plants and cyanobacteria-pesticides interactions.
Sergio de los Santos Villalobos is a Research Professor at the Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora, Mexico. He is also the Founder and Director of the Laboratorio de Biotecnología del Recurso Microbiano and the Colección de Microorganismos Edáficos y Endófitos Nativos. He has authored more than 100 scientific and review articles in indexed journals, 4 books, and 20 book chapters. He also has two registered patents in biotechnology on the bioprospecting and bioformulation of microbial inoculants and one software patent on the employ of isotopic techniques for assessing soil erosion. Dr. de los Santos Villalobos has served as president of international scientific congresses, participated in the organization and teaching of national or international workshops, has been a plenary speaker for national or international congresses or symposia, and is also a member of the expert panel of global organizations focused on the development of microbial inoculants and soil conservation. He is currently Associate Editor in several high-impact indexed journals.
Manoj Kumar Solanki is currently employed as a scientist in the Institute of Biology, Biotechnology, and Environment Protection of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland. In 2006, he received his master's degree in microbiology from Barkatullah University, and in 2013, he received his Ph.D. in Microbiology from Rani Durgawati University in India. He also served as a research associate in a DBTfunded project at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in India. He received a visiting scientist fellowship from the Guangxi Academy of Agriculture Sciences in China from 2013 to 2015, as well as a visiting scientist fellowship from the Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization in Israel from 2016 to 2020. He has been involved in numerous research activities on plants-microbes interaction, soil microbiology, plant disease management, enzymology, and microbial genome analysis during his research career, and has published a number of publications in prestigious peer-reviewed international journals and books. He is also expanding his knowledge of agriculturally significant microorganisms, with a focus on soil and crop health management, among other things as well as worked as associate/guest editor for various journals and has sound expertise in editing books and reviewing articles.
