Potential use of soil microbial community in agriculture

Abstract

Microbes can be exploited as low input technology for sustainable crop production and ecosystem conservation. About 2/3rd of the cultured population constitute plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) which exhibit both direct and indirect mechanism of plant growth stimulation and are implicated in the bioremediation and biocontrol. This chapter highlights the diversity of microorganism based on their ecological distribution, physiology/morphology and functioning. The survival efficiency of a microorganism with its host plants depends on the type and age of the plants. The amount and composition of root exudates are modulated by edaphic and environmental factor.