Chapter 9 - Belowground dialogue between plant roots and beneficial microbes

Abstract

Soil is the most fundamental requirement for the growth of crop plants. The soil health is deteriorating gradually, due to the excessive and continual use of chemical fertilizers and agrochemicals. Furthermore, agricultural crop production is greatly compromised due to a plethora of external factors such as abiotic and biotic stresses. The application of plant growth-promoting microbes (PGPM) in agriculture is a feasible and sustainable alternative to replace or minimize the use of chemical fertilizers and enhance soil fertility. Similarly, the implementation of PGPM is also attaining immense consideration as an effective strategy to combat the deleterious effect of various abiotic and biotic stresses on crop plants. A two-way dialog between plant roots and PGPM is established for beneficial interaction through the production chemical signals. The PGPM facilitate plant health and fitness by employing various mechanisms such as nutrients uptake and assimilation of minerals, moderating compounds such as phytohormones, production of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase, secretion of lytic enzymes, siderophores, and emission of volatile organic compounds. This chapter highlights the mechanistic understanding of the essential crosstalk between the plant root system and soil microbes for establishing a beneficial relationship. In addition, the article also addresses the importance of PGPM–plant interactions for resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses in plants, and the subsequent improvement in crop yield.