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MICROBES FOR CLIMATE RESILIENT AGRICULTURE


Edited by

Prem Lal Kashyap
Alok Kumar Srivastava
Shree Prakash Tiwari
Sudheer Kumar










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We dedicate this book to our parents for their endless love, support and encouragement.

ABOUT THE EDITORS

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Dr. Prem Lal Kashyap is a dedicated and known scientist in the area of molecular plant pathology. He has been working in the capacity of Scientist (Plant Pathology) in ICAR – Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), India after completing his Doctoral and Post Doctoral Degrees from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India. His main area of Research is focused on plant pathogenomics, development of molecular diagnostic tools for plant pathogens and bioformulation(s) development for crop stress management. He has published more than 40 research papers in the journals of international repute, several review articles, book chapters and has authored one book. He has been recognized with the NAAS Young Scientist Award (Plant Protection) 2015–16 by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), India and Dr. Basant Ram Young Scientist Award‐2014 for outstanding contributions in the field of agricultural sciences.

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Dr. Alok Kumar Srivastava is a dedicated and known scientist in the area of molecular microbiology. Presently, he is working as Senior Scientist in the National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, ICAR. India. Dr. Srivastava obtained a Ph.D. from Banaras Hindu University, India. His Ph.D. work was based on the mechanism of exploration competition among microorganisms in the rhizosphere, with emphasis on the competitive nature of the microorganisms colonizing Macrophomina phaseolina sclerotia and their ecological attributes. He completed his post doc at Otto Warburg Centre of Biotechnology with Prof. Ilan Chet, at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel and visited several countries including Hungary, France, The Netherlands, and Norway. He also worked as visiting research scientist in Department of Plant Sciences, McGill University, Canada in the year 2010. He has 24 years of research experience in the area of biological control of fungal pathogens and PGPRs, and supervised seven Ph.D. students. He has successfully completed several externally funded research projects from DST, DBT and other agencies of the Indian Government. He has published more than 80 research papers in the journals of international repute, several review articles, edited two books, and has more than 1240 citations in his credit (H index‐ 18, I10 index 28). He is also associated with the capacity building programme in the area of microbiology and has organized/participated in many training programmes as a resource expert. Dr. Srivastava is presently involved in the molecular characterization of agriculturally important microorganisms. He has successfully sequenced the whole genome of 10 AIMs, metagenome of Leh soils, mangrove soil of Andaman, landifill sites, saline soils etc. and deciphering the diversity of extremophilic microorganisms from different agroclimatic zones of the country. Currently, he is associated with one of the mega network projects “Application of Microorganisms in Agriculture and Allied Sectors (AMAAS)” of ICAR, India and is performing whole genome sequencing of a few important microorganisms. Presently, his group is focusing on de novo and reference genome sequencing of some important microorganisms, the enrichment of a microbial genomic resource repository, management of abiotic stresses and soil health through Bacillus and other predominant genera such as PGPR. They are investigating their capabilities related to soil fertility and plant nutrition mobilization, the production of bacterial phytohormones and solubilization of mineral phosphates, allowing them to inhabit diverse niches in agro‐ecosystems. The group have deciphered the mechanism of salinity and alkalinity tolerance and adaptation in microorganisms being utilized for agriculture. They have already developed a formulation ‘Biogrow’ available for commercialization by AgriInovate (ICAR) India.

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Dr. Shree Prakash Tiwari has more than 15 years teaching experience at UG and PG level. He has been working in the capacity of Associate Professor in Microbiology, Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University, Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, after completing his Doctoral and Post Doctoral Degrees from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Dr. Tiwari’s main areas of research are cyanobacterial metabolism and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for improvement of agricultural crops. He has published more than 30 research papers and book chapters in journals of national and international repute. Dr. Tiwari has also published three edited books in a series entitled “Recent Advances in Microbiology” Volume 1 to 3, from Nova Science Publishers Inc., NY, USA.

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Dr. Sudheer Kumar is presently working at ICAR – Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal, Haryana, India and his areas of specialization are wheat pathology, biocontrol, diagnostics and host–parasite interactions. Dr. Kumar started his career as Assistant Professor at Sher‐e‐Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology, Jammu, and remained associated with teaching and research after that moved to ICAR and joined the National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Mau, UP. There he established the National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection (NAIMCC) which is recognized as one of National Repositories by the Biodiversity Authority of India. Dr. Kumar also worked as a visiting research scientist in the Department of Plant Pathology, Ohio State University, Ohio, USA and worked on the development of nucleic acid bases diagnostic tools for plant pathogens. He has 17 years of research experience, in the area of resistance breeding, variability in plant pathogens, diagnostics, biological control of fungal pathogens and PGPRs, and has supervised three Ph.D. students. He has published more than 40 research papers and review articles in international journals of high repute, and contributed many book chapters.

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS

Jonathan M. Adams Department of Biological Science, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

Mian Nabeel Anwar State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, College of Life Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, P.R. China

R.A. Bhadania ICAR – Directorate of Groundnut Research, Junagadh, Gujarat, India

Usha Chakraborty Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Siliguri, West Bengal, India

Bishwanath Chakraborty Immuno‐Phytopathology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Siliguri, West Bengal, India

Sindhunath Chakraborty Laboratory of Microbial Genetics, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India

R. Dey ICAR – Directorate of Groundnut Research, Junagadh, Gujarat, India

Sachin Gupta Division of Plant Pathology, Sher‐e‐Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, India

Moni Gupta Division of Biochemistry, Sher‐e‐Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, India

Gayathri Ilangumaran Plant Science Department, McGill University/Macdonald Campus, Sainte Anne de Bellevue, QC, Canada

Poonam Jasrotia ICAR – Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal (Haryana), India

Ankita Jha ICAR – Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal (Haryana), India

Prem Lal Kashyap ICAR – Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal (Haryana), India

Sudheer Kumar ICAR – Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal (Haryana), India

Manish Kumar Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India

Dhananjay Kumar Department of Botany and Microbiology, HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar Garhwal, India

Raj Kumar Department of Chemical Engineering, Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat, Gujarat, India

John R. Lamont Plant Science Department, McGill University/Macdonald Campus, Sainte Anne de Bellevue, QC, Canada

Yue Zhang Li State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, College of Life Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, P.R. China

P. Maida ICAR – Directorate of Groundnut Research, Junagadh, Gujarat, India

Geetanjali Manchanda Department of Botany, D.A.V. University, Jalandhar, Punjab, India

V.B. Mandaliya ICAR – Directorate of Groundnut Research, Junagadh, Gujarat, India

Raj Pal Meena ICAR – Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal (Haryana), India

D.H. Mehta ICAR – Directorate of Groundnut Research, Junagadh, Gujarat, India

Arun Kumar Mishra Laboratory of Microbial Genetics, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India

Itumeleng Moroenyane Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre INRS – Institut Armand‐Frappier, Québec, Canada

Prabhakaran Narayanasamy ICAR – National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi, India

B.D. Nawade ICAR – Directorate of Groundnut Research, Junagadh, Gujarat, India

Jasdeep Chatrath Padaria ICAR – National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi, India

K.K. Pal ICAR – Directorate of Groundnut Research, Junagadh, Gujarat, India

S.V. Patel ICAR – Directorate of Groundnut Research, Junagadh, Gujarat, India

M.B. Patel ICAR – Directorate of Groundnut Research, Junagadh, Gujarat, India

Diby Paul Department of Environmental Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Pankaj K. Rai Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Centre, Barkatullah University, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

Pallavi Rai ICAR – National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms (NBAIM), Uttar Pradesh, India

Jayanwita Sarkar Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Siliguri, West Bengal, India

Raghvendra Saxena Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India

Gothandapani Sellamuthu ICAR – National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi, India

Shikha Sharma Department of Plant Pathology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India

Deepika Sharma Division of Biochemistry, Sher‐e‐Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, India

D.N. Sherathia ICAR – Directorate of Groundnut Research, Junagadh, Gujarat, India

Raghvendra Pratap Singh State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, College of Life Science, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, P.R. China

Rahul Kunwar Singh Department of Botany and Microbiology, HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar Garhwal, India

Preeti Singh Department of Botany and Microbiology, HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar Garhwal, India

Donald L. Smith Plant Science Department, McGill University/Macdonald Campus, Sainte Anne de Bellevue, QC, Canada

Alok Kumar Srivastava ICAR – National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms (NBAIM), Uttar Pradesh, India

M. Thomas Gujarat State Biotechnology Mission, Udyog Bhavan, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India

Balkrishna Tiwari Laboratory of Microbial Genetics, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India

Rajesh Singh Tomar Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India

Binu M. Tripathi Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, Republic of Korea.

Ekta Verma Laboratory of Microbial Genetics, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India

Jun Jie Zhang College of Food and Bioengineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, P.R. China

PREFACE

Microbes and climate are the major drivers of crop growth; therefore they significantly influence the quality, productivity, and sustainability of food production systems. Global warming is projected to have significant impacts on conditions affecting agriculture, including temperature, precipitation, chilling and glacial run‐off, and it is predicted to incline in coming years. In this context, the role of microbes, both as beneficial and antagonistic, and the array of functions they perform under stressed conditions are currently underestimated. Crop microbiome, nutrient cycling microbes, endophytes, mycorrhizae, and antagonists of pests and diseases contribute to durable and sustainable farming systems. Therefore, agricultural sustainability has always been highly dependent on these factors.

Microorganisms thrive under extreme conditions, from cold to hot places, from very acidic to very alkaline sites, or those with high salt concentrations, high pressure, or any other environment that might not look normal to humans. They provide excellent models for understanding the stress tolerance, adaptation and response mechanisms that can be subsequently engineered into crop plants to cope with climate change induced stresses. Moreover, use of these microorganisms per se can alleviate stresses in crop plants, thus opening a new and emerging way of application in agriculture. Presently, voluminous information is available on the subject, but in fragmentary mode. This book is an attempt to collect and provide a unique collection of data and a holistic view of the subject with a quantitative assessment of how agricultural systems will be transformed in the coming decades, using the hidden treasure of microbes.

The chapters in this book have been contributed by leaders, experts and pioneers in their respective fields. With its coverage of a broad range of agriculturally important crops, impact of climate change on crops as well as biotechnologically and environmentally relevant microbes, the book encapsulates the understanding of the microbe mediated stress management at field level. Moreover, it will serve as a springboard for fragmentary available novel research findings, and new applications of microbes to mitigate climate stress in agriculture. Readers will discover how this improved understanding not only enhances our knowledge of microbial capabilities to sustain crop production in the arena of climate change, but also provides new ammunition in the innovative microbial technologies and helps to optimize the use of microbes in agriculture. The book also addresses a lot of common queries, and of course agricultural management tactics that bring an interesting basket of innovative and effective solutions to tackle climate impact on agriculture, with the optimum application of diverse microbes. This book will stimulate readers to forge thought in a non‐conventional way, and to understand complex issues as it addresses many problems previously ignored. A concerted effort has been made to provide global views by including contributions from reputed researchers in the field, in addition to quality presentation. The book serves as an invaluable resource, because of its unique compilation of data and text on the application and importance of microbes in crop productivity, in order to achieve global food security in the arena of climate shift. Principally, the book highlights the potential application of microbes in climate resilient agriculture and will be of tremendous value to the students, scientists, teachers of microbiology, biotechnology, environmental biology, agronomy, plant physiology and plant protection and anyone interested in exploring the impacts of climate change and their microbial management.

PREM LAL KASHYAP
ALOK KUMAR SRIVASTAVA
SHREE PRAKASH TIWARI
SUDHEER KUMAR