Chapter 18 - Rhizosphere microbiome and plant probiotics

Abstract

Microbes are one of the most vital components of our ecosystem. Without microbes survival would be questionable for all the living beings on Earth. Therefore the study of microbes in different strata is crucial. It is known that the microbes present in the rhizosphere are very important for plant health and soil fertility. The beneficial microbes or plant growth promoting rhizobacteria in the rhizosphere soil help the plant immensely. Therefore these microbes are also considered as plant probiotics as they are beneficial for plant health. However, the metagenomic study of the rhizosphere soil revealed the microbiome structure in the rhizosphere soil. It helps us to understand the rhizosphere microbiome and their functions more precisely. In this chapter, we cover some recent works on the rhizosphere microbiome. Moreover, “who are they and why they are present in the rhizosphere soil?” are the most important questions. The plant probiotics, the beneficial group of bacteria, and their function in the rhizosphere soil are also included in this chapter.