Role of Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria in Rainfed and Irrigated Crops

Abstract

AbstractWater stress and soil salinity are the two main serious issues in rainfed and irrigated crops worldwide. Globally, India is at number one position in rainfed agriculture in terms of area as well as value of the produce. Due to water stress, rainfed crops are prone to breakdown during monsoon in view of rainfall and soil variability, delay in sowing, and diversity in crop management practices, leading to partial or complete failure of the crops. Additionally, irrigated crops suffer from salinity stress due to the deposition of high amount of soluble salts from the groundwater used for irrigation leading to poor crop yield. The cultivation of high-value crops requiring exhaustive utilization of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and hybrid seeds has made it difficult to manage the resources, aggravating the problems of rainfed and irrigated agriculture. For feeding ever-increasing world’s population, there is a critical need to increase productivity of rainfed and irrigated cropping systems. Plant growth-promoting microorganisms with the innate ability of water and salinity stress tolerance have the potential to be used as safe and cost-effective alternatives for enhancing crop productivity in rainfed and irrigated agriculture. Many of these microorganisms have been reported to mitigate various environmental stresses in plants by different mechanisms. This chapter highlights the potential of plant growth-promoting bacteria in enhancing the crop productivity in rainfed and irrigated agriculture.KeywordsDroughtPlant growth-promoting bacteriaSalinityRainfed cropsIrrigated crops