This book shares the latest insights into the genetic basis of molecular communication between plants and their microbial consortia. Further, the book highlights the capabilities of the rhizosphere and endosphere, which help manage ecosystem responses to climate change, nutrient cycling and sequestration of carbon; and discusses their application to the development and management of renewable energy sources. In their natural environments, plants are surrounded by a tremendous number of microorganisms. Some microbes directly interact with plants in a mutually beneficial fashion, while others colonize plants solely for their own advantage. In addition, microbes can indirectly affect plants by drastically altering their environments. Understanding the complex nature of the plant-microbe interface (PMI) can pave the way for novel strategies to improve plant productivity in an eco-friendly manner. The PMI approach focuses on understanding the physical, molecular, and chemical interactions between organisms in order to determine their functional roles in biological, physical, chemical and environmental systems. Although several metabolites from plants and microbes have now been fully characterized, their roles in chemical interactions between these associates remain poorly understood, and require further investigation.

The rhizosphere, the soil volume, which is directly affected by root activity, is an important hot spot for a multitude of biotic and abiotic processes. Carbon transfer from plants to microorganisms and to soil takes place in these small volumes around living roots, creating chemical gradients and zones of microbial activity over distinct temporal and spatial scales. Hydraulic and biogeochemical properties of the rhizosphere and the formation of complex three-dimensional structures such as micro- and macroaggreates in turn, result from complex feedbacks between physical, chemical and biological processes. The aim of this Research Topic is to advance our understanding of rhizosphere interactions by collating 16 original contributions across disciplines, including original research, reviews and specific methods on the processes taking place in the rhizosphere, to shed new light on one of the most important interfaces for the diversity of life on earth.

Microbiome Nano-Cross-Talk presents a comprehensive overview of the functional aspects of multiphasic microbial and nanotechnological interactions within and between plants and their ecosystem. Recognizing that beneficial microbes are involved in plant growth promotion, this book highlights their mechanism and regulation to enhance plant's yield and development even under stressed conditions. The merging of nanotechnology with microbiology is an essential aspect of this book. Various nanomaterials, their synthesis approaches as well as applications in agriculture have been studied extensively in past years. However, there is still a lack of information available on the synergism between nanomaterials and microbes towards increased plant growth as well as reducing stress. Microbiome Nano-Cross-Talk, provides detailed insights into these environmental and agricultural perspectives of plant-microbe-nano interaction. With a focus on focus the morphological, anatomical, biochemical, molecular and gene expression levels of plant growth promotion, the book is the first of its kind to enable scientists to unravel the different pathways and signaling cascades involved in response to this interaction and to understanding how nanomaterials regulate the plant-microbe associations. It critically examines the role of beneficial microbes in conjunction with nanoparticles in plants and the mechanisms adopted by the plants at the biochemical and molecular levels to enhance plant growth and mitigate various stresses. - Presents a logistic approach to nanotechnology and microbiology in the plant sciences - Explores multiple nanomaterials and their interactions for improved plant health and yield - Enables the reader to devise strategies for engineering stress-tolerant plants and increased plant productivity

Microbe Mediated Remediation of Environmental Contaminants presents recent scientific progress in applying microbes for environmental management. The book explores the current existing practical applications and provides information to help readers develop new practices and applications. Edited by recognized leaders in the field, this penetrating assessment of our progress to date in deploying microorganisms to the advantage of environmental management and biotechnology will be widely welcomed by those working in soil contamination management, agriculture, environment management, soil microbiology, and waste management. The polluting effects on the world around us of soil erosion, the unwanted migration of sediments, chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and the improper treatment of human and animal wastes have resulted in serious environmental and social problems around the world, problems which require us to look for solutions elsewhere than established physical and chemical technologies. Often the answer lies in hybrid applications in which microbial methods are combined with physical and chemical ones. When we remember that these highly effective microorganisms, cultured for a variety of applications, are but a tiny fraction of those to be found in the world around us, we realize the vastness of the untapped and beneficial potential of microorganisms. - Explores microbial application redressing for soil and water contamination challenges - Includes information on microbial synthesized nanomaterials for remediation of contaminated soils - Presents a uniquely hybrid approach, combining microbial interactions with other chemical and physical methods

Abiotic and biotic stress factors, including drought, salinity, waterlog, temperature extremes, mineral nutrients, heavy metals, plant diseases, nematodes, viruses, and diseases, adversely affect growth as well as yield of crop plants worldwide. Plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM) are receiving increasing attention from agronomists and environmentalists as candidates to develop an effective, eco-friendly, and sustainable alternative to conventional agricultural (e.g., chemical fertilizers and pesticide) and remediation (e.g., chelators-enhanced phytoremediation) methods employed to deal with climate change-induced stresses. Recent studies have shown that plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), rhizobia, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), cyanobacteria have great potentials in the management of various agricultural and environmental problems. This book provides current research of biofertilizers and the role of microorganisms in plant health, with specific emphasis on the mitigating strategies to combat plant stresses.

This book highlights the latest discoveries about the nitrogen cycle in the soil. It introduces the concept of nitrogen fixation and covers important aspects of nitrogen in soil and ecology such as its distribution and occurrence, soil microflora and fauna and their role in N-fixation. The importance of plant growth-promoting microbes for a sustainable agriculture, e.g. arbuscular mycorrhizae in N-fixation, is discussed as well as perspectives of metagenomics, microbe-plant signal transduction in N-ecology and related aspects. This book enables the reader to bridge the main gaps in knowledge and carefully presents perspectives on the ecology of biotransformations of nitrogen in soil.

This edited book deals with latest comprehensive information on conventional and high throughput techniques and technologies that are recently used to study plant microbial interface for agricultural research and enhancing plant productivity. Plant microbiota are important for many plant growth promotion activity and agricultural productivity and are sustainable green technology for enhancing agricultural productivity under changing environment. The book covers recent information about the plant associated microbiota and their ecology. It discusses technologies to isolate and test microbiota inhabiting in different portion of plants. The book explores the conventional methods as well as the most recently recognized high throughput technologies which are important for productive agroecosystems to feed the growing global population. This book is of interest to teachers, researchers, microbiologist, plant and environmental scientist and those interested in environment stewardship around the world. Also the book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of agriculture, forestry, ecology, soil science, and environmental sciences and policy makers to be a useful to read.

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.