Trichoderma: A part of possible answer towards crop residue disposal

India is one of the leading countries in agricultural production and generate large volume of crop residue. Increasing demand for food grains due to growing population leads to generation of crop residues. Due to lack of proper disposal mechanism of crop residue, farmers burn the residue which release greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere, and poses great threat to environment as well as human health. The residue burning causes greater carbon emission and nutrient losses which otherwise incorporated into the soil system may substantially improve the soil biodiversity. Besides several practices of crop residue management, the most feasible method for farmers is incorporation of residue into the soil with the inoculation of microbes. In soil system the ability of microbial community in degrading organic substances is well known. In the early stages of residue decomposition simple substrates like carbohydrates are degraded by bacteria, but in later stages degradation of complex constituents viz., cellulose, lignin needs microbes which are capable of secreting enzymes like cellulase, acting on complex organic substrates. In this context, cellulolytic micro organisms like Trichoderma have the potential and emerging as an important microbial inoculants to enhance the rate of decomposition as well as alleviate the effect of residue burning

Prospect and potential of Burkholderia sp. against Phytophthora capsici Leonian: a causative agent for foot rot disease of black pepper

Foot rot disease is a very destructive disease in black pepper in Malaysia. It is caused by Phytophthora capsici Leonian, which is a soilborne pathogenic protist (phylum, Oomycota) that infects aerial and subterranean structures of many host plants. This pathogen is a polycyclic, such that multiple cycles of infection and inoculum production occur in a single growing season. It is more prevalent in the tropics because of the favourable environmental conditions. The utilization of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as a biological control agent has been successfully implemented in controlling many plant pathogens. Many studies on the exploration of beneficial organisms have been carried out such as Pseudomonas fluorescens, which is one of the best examples used for the control of Fusarium wilt in tomato. Similarly, P. fluorescens is found to be an effective biocontrol agent against the foot rot disease in black pepper. Nowadays there is tremendous novel increase in the species of Burkholderia with either mutualistic or antagonistic interactions in the environment. Burkholderia sp. is an indigenous PGPR capable of producing a large number of commercially important hydrolytic enzymes and bioactive substances that promote plant growth and health; are eco-friendly, biodegradable and specific in their actions; and have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity in keeping down the population of phytopathogens, thus playing a great role in promoting sustainable agriculture today. Hence, in this book chapter, the potential applications of Burkholderia sp. to control foot rot disease of black pepper in Malaysia, their control mechanisms, plant growth promotion, commercial potentials and the future prospects as indigenous PGPR were discussed in relation to sustainable agriculture

Using mycorrhiza helper microorganisms (MHM) to improve the mycorrhizal efficiency on plant growth

In the context of the “New Green Revolution,” innovative agricultural practices have to be identified to sustainably improve the traditional cultural approaches already used in the green revolution and to apply efficient technologies to solve actual agricultural problems (more particularly in the developing countries) but without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. To reach this objective, soil microbes represent a largely unexplored resource to promote agricultural yield and productivity in the context of sustainable farming practices. Among these beneficial microorganisms, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form symbiotic association with ~80% of vascular plant species. These efficient symbionts are considered as a key group of soil microorganisms able to improve P uptake by plants. In addition, AMF have the potential to improve plant defense against plant pathogens and to promote plant tolerance against abiotic stresses. AMF are primary biotic soil components which, when missing or impoverished, e.g., due to anthropic input, can lead to a less efficient ecosystem functioning. Many environmental factors can affect the impact of AMF inoculation on the plant growth including the fungal species compatibility with soil characteristics and the interactions between the fungal inoculant and other soil microorganisms. Some microorganisms, named mycorrhiza helper bacteria (MHB), can facilitate the establishment and the functioning of the AMF symbiosis by stimulating spore germination, mycelial growth, root colonization, or sporulation but also by reducing stresses that could impact AMF symbiosis. The aim of this chapter is to review mechanisms implemented by MHB to promote the AMF establishment and to enhance the efficiency of the mycorrhizal effect on the plant growth. Using Mycorrhiza Helper Microorganisms (MHM) to Improve the Mycorrhizal Efficiency on Plant Growth

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Not AvailableThe increasing demand for crop production, given worldwide increases in the human population, puts pressure on moving natural resources towards sus-tainable development. This creates a big challenge for the upcoming generation. If improvement is not successful, there exists the unfortunate consequence that global food production may soon become insufficient to feed all of the world’s people. It is therefore essential that agricultural productivity be significantly increased in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach. Plant-beneficiary rhizo-bacteria (PBR) naturally activate microorganisms found in the soil. Because they are inexpensive, effective, and environmentally friendly, PBR are gaining impor-tance for use in crop production by restoring the soil’s natural fertility and protect-ing it against drought and soil diseases, thereby stimulating plant growth. PBR decrease the use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and artificial growth regulators; the intensive use of these inputs has led to severe health and environmental hazards, such as soil erosion, water contamination, pesticide poisoning, decreased ground-water table, water logging, surface crusting and depletion of biodiversity. The use of PBR has been proven to be an environmentally sound way of increasing crop yields by facilitating plant growth through either a direct or indirect mechanism with the aim of sustaining soil health over the long term. (7) (PDF) Towards Plant-Beneficiary Rhizobacteria and Agricultural Sustainability. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325854138_Towards_Plant-Beneficiary_Rhizobacteria_and_Agricultural_Sustainability [accessed Nov 19 2018].Not Availabl