A multiplicity of biotrophic micro-organisms interact with plants in nature, forming symbiotic relationships that range from mutualism to antagonism. Microorganisms that have adopted biotrophy as a lifestyle are able to colonize the plant and often to cross the plant cell boundaries by forming intracellular structures that are the site of nutrient uptake/exchange. To establish themselves within plant tissues, both mutualistic and pathogenic biotrophs need to overcome the plant defense response through an exchange of molecular signals. Our knowledge of the nature of these signals and their function in the interaction has rapidly increased over the last few years. This volume focuses on the genetic, molecular and cellular components involved in the communication between partners of well-known symbioses, but also reports on the advances for less studied systems.

The decade since the publication of the third edition of this volume has been an era of great progress in biology in general and the plant sciences in particular. This is especially true with the advancements brought on by the sequencing of whole genomes of model organisms and the development of "omics" techniques. This fourth edition of Plant Root

A plant growing under field conditions is not a simple individual; it is a community. We now know that there is a community of microbes associated with all parts of the plant, and that the root associated community is particularly large. This microbial community, the phytomicrobiome, is complex, regulated and the result of almost half a billion years of evolution. Circumstances that benefit the plant generally benefit the phytomicrobiome, and vice versa. Members of the holobiont modulate each other's activities, in part, through molecular signals, acting as the hormones of the holobiont. The plant plus the phytomicrobiome constitute the holobiont, the resulting entity that is that community. The phytomicrobiome is complex, well developed and well-orchestrated, and there is considerable potential in managing this system. The use of “biologicals” will develop during the 21st century and play as large a role as agro-chemistry did in the 20th century. Biologicals can be deployed to enhance plant pathogen resistance, improve plant access to nutrients and improve stress tolerance. They can be used to enhance crop productivity, to meet the expanding demands for plant material as food, fibre and fuel. They can assist crop plants in dealing with the more frequent and more extreme episodes of stress that will occur as climate change conditions continue to develop. The path is clear and we have started down it; there is a considerable distance remaining.

This groundbreaking book covers the recent advances in sustainable technologies and developments, and describes how green chemistry and engineering practices are being applied and integrated in various industrial sectors. Over the past decade, the population explosion, rise in global warming, depletion of fossil fuel resources and environmental pollution have been the major driving force for promoting and implementing the principles of green chemistry and sustainable engineering in all sectors ranging from chemical to environmental sciences. It plays a growing role in the chemical processing industries. Green chemistry and engineering are relatively new areas focused on minimizing generations of pollution by utilizing alternative feedstocks, developing, selecting, and using less environmentally harmful solvents, finding new synthesis pathways, improving selectivity in reactions, generating less waste, avoiding the use of highly toxic compounds, and much more. In an effort to advance the discussion of green chemistry and engineering, this book contains 19 chapters describing greener approaches to the design and development of processes and products. The contributors describe the production of third generation biofuels, sustainable and economic production of hydrogen by water splitting using solar energy, efficient energy harvesting, mechanisms involved in the conversion of biomass, green nanocomposites, bio-based polymers, ionic liquids as green solvents, sustainable nitrogen fixation, bioremediation, and much more. The book aims at motivating chemists and engineers, as well as postgraduate and PhD students and postdocs to pay attention to an acute need for the implementation of green chemistry principles in the field of chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, agriculture, environmental engineering, chemical processing and material sciences.

How Plants Communicate with Their Biotic Environment addresses how plants perceive the presence of organisms (other plants, microbes, insects and nematodes) living in their proximity, how they manage to be attractive when these organisms are friendly, and how they defend themselves from foes. Specific chapters delve into ecology and defense mechanisms, allelopathy and the role of allelochemicals in plant defense, plant signaling, and plant communication with microbes and animals, including herbivores. In addition, the book presents discussions on communication and its role in plant pollination. This comprehensive resource presents tactics that can be taken from the lab, to the bench, to the forest. - Gathers, under a common general outline, a comprehensive knowledge issued from distinct scientific communities - Combines three life science disciplines, including ecology, evolutionary biology, and molecular biology - Addresses a topical subject as the natural biological processes described represent basic knowledge that help develop low input sustainable agriculture - Written by renowned scientists in their field

Nature’s high biomass productivity is based on biological N2 fixation (BNF) and biodiversity (Benckiser, 1997; Benckiser and Schnell, 2007). Although N2 makes up almost 80% of the atmosphere’s volume living organisms need it in only small quantities, presumably due to the paucity of natural ways of transforming this recalcitrant dinitrogen into reactive compounds. N shortage is commonly the most important limiting factor in crop production. The synthesis of ammonium from nitrogen and hydrogen, the Haber–Bosch (H-B) process, invented more than 100 years ago, became the holy grail of synthetic inorganic chemistry and removed the most ubiquitous limit on crop yields. H-B opened the way for the development and adoption of high-yielding cultivars, for monoculturing by organic and precision farming. With N over fertilization and pesticide application monoculturing farmers could approach Nature’s high biomass productivity by causing side effects the scientific world is investigating. This eBook presents the complexity the scientific world is facing in in understanding the soil-microbe-plant-animal cooperation, the millions of taxonomically, phylogenetically, and metabolically diverse above-below-ground species, involved in shaping the ever-changing biogeochemical process patterns being of great significance for food production networks and yield stability. Because ecosystem management and agricultural praxis are still largely conducted in isolation, the aim of this Frontiers’ eBook is to gather and interconnect plant-microbe-insect interaction research of various disciplines, studied with a broad spectrum of modern physical-chemical, biochemical, and molecular biological, agronomical techniques. The goal of this Research Topic was to gain a better understanding of microbe-plant-insect compositions, functioning, interactions, health, fitness, and productivity.

Rhizomicrobiome: Current Status and Future Prospects for Agriculture and Environment explores the important potential of biocontrol agents in the reduction of overexploitation of synthetic pesticides, enhancing crop production, and maintaining the natural texture and health of agricultural soils. As concerns about sustainable production challenge current practices, this book presents opportunities for utilizing biological systems as part of the solution. Rhizomicrobiome is a significant part of plant biological system which impacts the plant growth and survival in different physiological conditions. Its composition includes different microbial networks whose presence is mainly impacted by the root exudates. Archaea, bacteria, protozoa, fungi, oomycetes, nematodes, microarthropods etc. are the significant parts of the rhizomicrobiome. Rhizomicrobiome could be that novel ecosystem housing the bioinoculants that can help create sustainable, productive growth environments. Written by a team of global experts Rhizomicrobiome explores the full range of rhizomicrobiome topics including sustainable agriculture, food security, and environmental management and will be a valuable resource for researchers, academics and advanced students. - Introduces the latest advancement in the sustainable agricultural practices, microbial biocontrol, and environmental management - Presents the prospects of, wide applications of, traditional uses of, and modern practices of harnessing the potential of rhizomicrobiome - Includes informative illustrations of recent trends of phyto and soil microbiome

Plants are sessile, highly sensitive organisms that actively compete for environmental resources both above and below the ground. They assess their surroundings, estimate how much energy they need for particular goals, and then realise the optimum variant. They take measures to control certain environmental resources. They perceive themselves and can distinguish between ‘self’ and ‘non-self’. They process and evaluate information and then modify their behaviour accordingly. These highly diverse competences are made possible by parallel sign(alling)-mediated communication processes within the plant body (intraorganismic), between the same, related and different species (interorganismic), and between plants and non-plant organisms (transorganismic). Intraorganismic communication involves sign-mediated interactions within cells (intracellular) and between cells (intercellular). This is crucial in coordinating growth and development, shape and dynamics. Such communication must function both on the local level and between widely separated plant parts. This allows plants to coordinate appropriate response behaviours in a differentiated manner, depending on their current developmental status and physiological influences. Lastly, this volume documents how plant ecosphere inhabitants communicate with each other to coordinate their behavioural patterns, as well as the role of viruses in these highly dynamic interactional networks.

Our image of plants is changing dramatically away from passive entities merely subject to environmental forces and organisms that are designed solely for the accumulation of photosynthate. Plants are revealing themselves to be dynamic and highly sensitive organisms that actively and competitively forage for limited resources, both above and below ground, organisms that accurately gauge their circumstances, use sophisticated cost-benefit analysis, and take clear actions to mitigate and control diverse environmental threats. Moreover, plants are also capable of complex recognition of self and non-self and are territorial in behavior. They are as sophisticated in behavior as animals but their potential has been masked because it operates on time scales many orders of magnitude less than those of animals. Plants are sessile organisms. As such, the only alternative to a rapidly changing environment is rapid adaptation. This book will focus on all these new and exciting aspects of plant biology.