Chapter 15 - Perspectives of using plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria under salinity stress for sustainable crop production

Abstract

Salinity stress is one of the major abiotic constraints against sustainable crop production and food security. About one-fourth of the cultivated land and one-third of the irrigated land is prone to salt stress. Due to an increased demand for food for an ever-increasing population of the world, this problem is getting worse day by day as the area under salinity stress is expected to increase in the coming years. Salt stress retards the growth and productivity of crop plants via disturbance in various metabolic processes. This situation demands an environment-friendly and sustainable solution. In this regard, the use of salt-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) could play an important role in the mitigation of salt stress in crop plants and ultimately boosting the growth and productivity of crop plants. In this chapter, the current situation of salt stress at a global level, its detrimental effects on crop growth and productivity, and mechanisms of tolerance are discussed. Also, the reports on the mitigation of salt stress with the application of PGPR and their salt tolerance mechanisms have been summarized. Moreover, research gaps and future directions to promote the understanding of the mechanisms employed by PGPR and efficiently utilize the biofertilizer technology for sustainable cop production have also been mentioned.