Actinomycetes bio-inoculants: A modern prospectus for plant disease management

Abstract

Plant disease management by using natural resources receives considerable awareness all over the world, because it is eco-friendly in nature. Among them, microbes especially actinomycetes have received widespread attention due to its ability to produce biologically active compounds. These compounds have been extensively exploited against different kinds of pathogens such as fungus, bacteria, pest, and insects. Actinomycetes are gram-positive saprophytic bacteria and ubiquitous in nature. Numerous strains of actinomycetes have been extensively utilized to manage plant diseases. Actinomycetes are a reservoir of several bioactive compounds and industrially important enzymes. It is widely distributed in the agro-environment, particularly in the plant rhizosphere, and influences plant growth in a significant manner. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of diversity and application of actinomycetes as bio-inoculums against plant pathogens. It also discusses the essential mechanisms and explores the future prospect in order to enhance formulation technology and application practices to acquire full advantage of this group of organism for modern agriculture system.