Chapter 10 - Role of exopolysaccharide and biofilms in microorganisms for alleviating salt stress

Abstract

In recent times, there are rising deliberations on the necessity of sustainable agricultural practices because of shrinking agricultural land due to various abiotic and biotic stresses. Salt stressed soils impact plant growth and development and overall productivity. Traditional soil management practices are either not adequate or high priced. Alternatively, improving soil health via biological approaches would provide enough food supply for the ever-increasing world population. Diverse microorganisms have natural ability to sustain and grow in saline habitats, some of which show the unique ability to alleviate salt stress. Among the various survival mechanisms adopted by microorganisms, the production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) has been explored extensively. In this chapter, we have addressed the fundamentals of EPS production, biofilm formation, and the potential use of these EPS-producing microorganisms such as salt-tolerant plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) for ameliorating the salt stress, thereby improving plant growth and productivity.