Sustainable Agri-Productivity: A Roadmap to Hunger Alleviation using Beneficial Microbes

Sustainable agriculture is at a critical crossroads as global food demand rises alongside challenges such as soil degradation, climate change, and declining resource efficiency. “Sustainable Agri-Productivity: A Roadmap to Hunger Alleviation using Beneficial Microbes” addresses these pressing concerns by presenting microbes as key drivers of resilient and productive agro-ecosystems. The book aims to bridge the gap between fundamental microbial science and its practical applications in agriculture.

This volume stands out by offering a holistic and multidisciplinary approach, integrating crop productivity, soil health management, and emerging biotechnological innovations. It provides insights into how beneficial microbes can enhance nutrient availability, improve stress tolerance, and restore ecological balance across diverse farming systems, including stress-prone environments such as saline and arid regions.

Key Features:

• Role of beneficial microbes in major crops including cereals, legumes, and horticultural systems
• Microbial approaches for improving soil fertility and nutrient cycling
• Strategies for managing saline, arid, and water-limited agricultural conditions
• Advances in plant microbiome research and microbial biotechnology
• Application of precision agriculture and genome-based microbial interventions
• Development and use of biofertilizers and sustainable input systems

Overall, this book serves as a comprehensive resource for researchers, academicians, policymakers, and students in agriculture and allied sciences. It is also valuable for extension professionals and practitioners seeking sustainable, microbe-based solutions for enhancing productivity and ensuring global food security.

Dr. Monika Singh is currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied and Life Sciences, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. She completed her doctoral research in the Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, on the theme Plant–Microbe Interactions. During her doctoral research, she was awarded the prestigious DST–INSPIRE Research Fellowship by the Department of Science and Technology (India).

Dr. Singh has published more than 45 scientific contributions in the form of research articles, review papers, patents, and book chapters in leading international journals and publishers. Her research interests primarily focus on environmental microbiology and microbial nanotechnology, with particular emphasis on endophytes associated with horticultural crops.

Mr. Sandeep Kumar Singh is currently working as a Senior Research Fellow in the Division of Microbiology at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India. He obtained both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Botany from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, in 2016 and 2018, respectively.

He has been involved in multiple research projects at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute and has worked extensively on plant–microbe interactions, waste recycling, pesticide remediation, plant growth-promoting bacteria, plant disease management, and plant taxonomy. Mr. Singh has published more than 110 scientific contributions, including research articles, review papers, and book chapters in reputed international journals and publishers.

Dr. Ajay Kumar is currently working as an Assistant Professor at the Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida, India. He completed his doctoral research in the Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, in 2015, focusing on Plant–Microbe Interactions.

Dr. Kumar recently completed his tenure as a Visiting Scientist at the Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel. Over the course of his research career, he has published more than 300 scientific contributions, including research articles, review papers, books, and book chapters in leading international journals and publishers. His research interests include plant–microbe interactions, microbial biocontrol, postharvest management, endophytes associated with medicinal plants, and cyanobacteria–pesticide interactions.

Dr. Manoj Kumar Solanki, Ph.D. in Microbiology, currently serves as an Associate Professor at IES University, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. Previously, he worked as a Scientist at the University of Silesia, Poland, under the NAWA program (2021–2023). He has also served as a Visiting Scientist at the Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Israel (2016–2020), and at the Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China (2013–2015). Earlier in his career, he worked as a Senior Research Fellow with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, India.

He obtained his M.Sc. from Barkatullah University in 2006 and his Ph.D. from Rani Durgawati University in 2013. Dr. Solanki’s research focuses on plant–microbe interactions, soil microbiology, and plant disease management, with particular emphasis on microbiomes, nutrient management, and microbial bioformulations. He has published over 80 high-impact research papers and 30 book chapters, and has edited more than 10 books and special issues in journals such as Frontiers in Microbiology, Microbiological Research, and BMC Plant Biology.