Rhizosphere Microbes: Soil and Plant Functions (Microorganisms for Sustainability, 23)

Plants create a dynamic micro-biosphere in the soil, around the roots, called as ‘rhizosphere’, which harbors diverse number of microorganisms for sustaining their growth and development.  A soil with diverse and multi-traits microbial communities is considered healthy to enhance crop productivity. In the last decades, rhizosphere biology has gained attention due to unraveling of new mechanisms, processes and molecules in the rhizosphere that contributes towards the promotion of plant productivity. The rhizospheric microbes and associated processes are being utilized for harnessing potential of soils in effective and sustainable functioning in the agro-ecosystems. Broadly, the book discusses rhizospheric microbes and their role in modulating functions of soil and crop plant. Specifically, it highlights conventional and modern aspects of rhizosphere microbes such as – microbiome in the rhizosphere, microbes as an indicator and promoter of soil health, rhizosphere microbes as biofertilizer, biostimulator and biofortifyer, microbial signaling in the rhizosphere, recent tools in deciphering rhizobiome, and regulatory mechanisms for commercialization of biofertilizer, biopesticide and biostimulator. The book is useful for agriculture scientist, biotechnologist, plant pathologist, mycologist, and microbiologist, farming community, scientist of R&D organization, as well as teaching community, researcher and student and policy maker.

Sushil Kumar Sharma, National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection (NAIMCC), ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India. Present Address: ICAR-National Institute of Biotic Stress Management, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India

Dr Sushil K. Sharma is currently working as a Principal Scientist (Agricultural Microbiology) at ICAR-National Institute of Biotic Stress Management, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India in the area of microbial resource conservation, secondary metabolites, and antimicrobial peptides for biotic stress management of crops. In the recent past, he worked at ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India in the capacity of Officer In-charge/focal point, National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection [NAIMCC - International Depository Authority (IDA)-Budapest Treaty Notification No. 338]. He delivered talks in International PGPR conference in Medellin, Columbia in June, 2012 and subsequently in Asian PGPR Conference, Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 2019. So far he had published 110 articles (research, review, book chapter, book etc.) in both national and international journals/book/conferences.

Udai Bhan Singh, Plant Microbe Interaction and Rhizosphere Biology Lab, ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Dr. Udai Bhan Singh, presently working as Scientist (Senior Scale) in the Plant-Microbe Interaction & Rhizosphere Biology Lab, ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Kushmaur, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India. His specialized area are: Plant-Microbe Interactions in the rhizosphere with special reference to biotic and abiotic stress management/molecular biology/biotechnology/plant pathology. Dr. Singh has been awarded with ‘DST Young Scientist’ under Fast-Track Scheme, ‘Young Scientistaward’ of RASSA, New Delhi, Bharat Shiksha Ratan Award, K.P.V. Menon and Prof. K.S. Bilgrami Best Poster Award for the Year 2018 by Indian Phytopathological Society, New Delhi and Indian Society of Mycology & Plant Pathology, Udaipur.

Pramod Kumar Sahu, Plant Microbe Interaction and Rhizosphere Biology Lab, ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Dr. Pramod Kumar Sahu has completed B.Sc. from IGKVV, M.Sc. (Gold-Medalist) and Ph.D. (Agricultural Microbiology) from UAS, Bengaluru, India. He was a DST-Inspire fellow and was selected in various national level exams including ICAR-JRF, ICAR-SRF, ICAR-NET, ARS, and GATE. Being a Scientist of Agricultural Microbiology at ICAR - NBAIM, Mau, India, working on plant-endophyte interaction, consortium of bioinoculants and biological control, and has more than 45 publications, 6 training manuals, 13 extension folders, 3 popular articles, and 30 abstractsto his credit. He has won Dr. B. P. Pal’S Prize Gold Medal, Dr. G. Rangaswamy Gold Medal, Willium Rigo award, several best posters and best oral presentation awards along with Young Scientist in Agricultural Microbiology-2018 award.

Harsh Vardhan Singh, Plant Microbe Interaction and Rhizosphere Biology Lab ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan Singh is currently working as a Principal Scientist (Plant Pathology) at ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Kushmaur, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India. He is specialized in the areas of: plant-microbe Interactions, biological control, biotic and abiotic stress management. He has vast research experience in the field of Plant Pathology with special reference to temperate crops of Jammu and Kashmir and grasses and fodder crops. He served as a Junior Scientist-cum-Assistant Professor in Plant Pathology(2002-2007) at RARSS, SKUAST-K, Kargil, Programme Coordinator (2007-2009) at KVK, Poonch, SKUAST-J and Senior Scientist (Plant Pathology) at ICAR-IGFRI, Jhansi from 2009-18. 

Pawan Kumar Sharma, ICAR-National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection (NAIMCC), National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Dr. Pawan Kumar Sharma did his M.Sc and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from by DR YSP University of Horticulture & Forestry, Solan, HP . He is working as Principal scientist at ICAR-NBAIM at Mau, UP since September 2013. He had been associated with 14 projects as PI or Co-PI sponsored by various agencies. Currently he is working on biological control of wilt and collar rot diseases through liquid based formulation of Trichoderma and are also In-charge of National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection. He has published 46 research papers in national and international journals,edited 4 books, authored 1 book.