Biofertilizer Technology and Pulse Production

Abstract

Plant–microbe interactions are a central feature of the life of not only plants but determine the soil health and plant health, thereby leading to a healthy ecosystem. These interactions range from advantageous symbiotic associations to pathogenic disease states. An understanding of these interactions is essential for both commercial plant production and native soil health management and for maintaining overall healthy environment. Numerous rhizobial strains have been identified that show nitrogen-fixing ability, with their target host legume Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) being one of the most important legume crop of the arid zones of India, and different cultivars of chickpea have been grown under field conditions since centuries. Most of the chickpea grown soils harbor diverse group of rhizobial populations. These rhizobial populations in the soil are capable of interacting and nodulating all chickpea cultivars to varying extent depending upon the soil, site, and management practices. The achievements of biofertilizer technology in enhancing chickpea productivity in India are discussed in this chapter.