Using Microbes to Improve Crop Yields

This book will address all the major mechanisms by which microbiomes are thought to impact plant growth and health. A unique aspect of this publication is that it is multidisciplinary, covering plant microbiology, plant physiology, fungal and bacterial endophytes, plant biochemistry, and genomics. Just as research on the mammalian microbiome has demonstrated its importance for overall health of the host, the plant microbiota is essential for plant health in natural environments. Endophytes, the microorganisms living fully within plants, can provide a multitude of benefits to the host including N-fixation, P solubilization, increased photosynthetic efficiency and water use efficiency, stress tolerance, pathogen resistance, and overall increased growth and health. A variety of culturable endophytes have been isolated and shown to be mutualistic symbionts with a broad range of plant species. These studies point to the functional importance of the microbiota of plants and suggest the potential for tailoring plant microbiota for improved vigor and yields with reduced inputs. This book will cover the major benefits of microbial endophytes to plants and discusses the implications of using symbiosis as an alternative to chemical inputs for agriculture, forestry, and bioenergy. Key Features Many books only focus on few aspects of plant microbe interaction and missed the microbial genomics and omics. They also miss the recent advances in microbial ecology under stressful environment. Courses taught in universities from basics to advanced level in field of plant breeding, molecular genetics and agronomy this book will be used Our book covers many of the aspects of microbial ecology including omics, genomics and sequencing techniques in the current era of climate change. Our book emphasizes the use of modern molecular tools such as smart delivery systems for microbial inoculation, next-generation sequencing and genome mapping Discusses the crop microbiome, nutrient cycling microbes, endophytes, mycorrhizae, and various pests and diseases, and their roles in sustainable farming