Microbial Strategies for Vegetable Production (eBook)

Almas Zaidi, received her M.Sc. and Ph.D. (Agricultural Microbiology) from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India and currently serving as Guest teacher/Assistant Professor at the Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India. Dr. Zaidi has been teaching Microbiology at post graduate level for the last 12 years and has research experience of 16 years. She has published above 50 research papers, book chapters and review articles in journals of national and international repute. Dr. Zaidi has edited seven books published by the leading publishers. Her main focus of research is to address problems related with rhizo-microbiology, microbiology, environmental microbiology, and biofertilizer technology.Mohammad Saghir Khan, Ph.D. is a Professor at the Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India. Dr. Khan received his M.Sc. from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India and his Ph.D. (Microbiology) from Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, India. He has been teaching Microbiology to post-graduate students for the last 20 years and has research experience of 24 years. In addition to his teaching, Dr. Khan is engaged in guiding students for their doctoral degree in Microbiology. He has published over 100 scientific papers including, original research articles, review articles and book chapters in various national and international publication media. Dr. Khan has also edited nine books published by the leading publishers. Dr. Khan is deeply involved in research activities focusing mainly on rhizobiology, microbiology, environmental microbiology especially heavy metals-microbes-legume interaction, bioremediation, pesticide-PGPR-plant interaction, biofertilizers and rhizo-immunology.

Chapter 1Microbial Inoculants in Organic Vegetable Production: Current Perspective1. Introduction2. Need of organic vegetables3. Essential characteristics of organic farming systems4. Microbial inoculants as components of organic production4.1 Microbes as biofertilizers in organic cultivation4.1.1     Nitrogen fixing biofertilizers4.1.1.1  Nitrogen fixation through nodule formation in leguminous vegetable crops4.1.1.2  Azotobacter as free living nitrogen fixer 4.1.1.3 Azospirillum as nitrogen fixer4.1.2     Phosphorus solubilising microorganisms4.1.3     Potassium solubilizing bacteria4.1.4     Mycorrhiza as biofertilizer5. Microbes as bio-control agents for suppression of plant diseases5.1 Trichoderma in organic disease management:5.2 Fluorescent pseudomonads as biocontrol agent in organic cultivation:6. Microbes for decomposition of organic residues7. Factors affecting the efficacy of microbial inoculantsConclusionsReferenceChapter 2Plant growth promoting bacteria: Importance in vegetable production1. Introduction2. Place of PGPR in Food safety and agricultural challenges3. Mechanism of growth promotion by PGPR-A general perspective3.1 Nitrogen fixation3.2 Nitrification3.3 Denitrification3.4 Phosphate solubilisation3.5 Siderophores, a powerful tool for antagonism and competition3.6 Bacterial phytohormones and plant growth regulation3.6.1 Auxins: biosynthesis and their place in the plant-PGPR interaction3.6.2 Gibberellins: miraculous molecules for plant growth regulation3.6.3 Cytokinins and plant growth regulation3.6.4 Ethylene3.6.5 Abscisic acid3.6.6 Bacterial ACC desaminase: A hormone balancing signal molecule4. PGPR-hydrolytic enzymes5. Systemic tolerance and systemic resistance induction by PGPRConclusionReferences Chapter 3Role of Nitrogen Fixing Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria in Sustainable Production of Vegetables: Current Perspective1. Introduction2. Rationale for using nitrogen fixers in vegetable production3. Nitrogen fixers-Vegetable Interactions:  How nitrogen fixers enter vegetables4. Mechanism of vegetable Growth Promotion by nitrogen fixing plant growth  promoting rhizobacteria5. Nitrogen fixing plant growth promoting rhizobacteria improve vegetable production: A general perspective6. Effects of nitrogen fixing plant growth promoting rhizobacteria on important  vegetable crops6.1 Potato (Solanum tuberosum)6.2 Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.)6.3 Eggplant (Solanum melongena)6.4 Cabbage (Brassica oleracea)6.5 Broccoli (Brassica oleracea)6.6 Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.)6.7 Onion (Allium cepa)6.8 Radish and daikon (Raphanus sativus)6.9 Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)6.10 Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)ConclusionReferences Chapter 4Role of Plant growth Promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in the improvement of vegetable crop production under stress conditions1. Introduction2. Stress factors2.1Soil salinization2.1.1 Effect of salinity on plant growth2.1.2 Impact of salinity on microorganisms3. Drought3.1 Influence of drought stress on morphological characteristics of plants4. Alleviation of drought and salinity stress by plant growth promoting rhizobacteriaConclusionReferences Chapter 5Growth improvement and management of vegetable diseases by plant growth promoting rhizobacteria1. Introduction2. Rationale for using PGPR in the Management of Vegetables Diseases3. How plant growth promoting rhizobacteria combat phytopathogen attack: A general perspective3.1 Release of siderophores3.2 Production of cyanogenic compounds3.3 Production of antibiotics3.4 Secretion of lytic enzymes3.5 Induced systemic resistance (ISR)3.6 Competition4. Some Examples of Growth Promotion and Vegetable Disease Management by PGPR Wilt disease: A general perspective4.1 Diseases of tomato and their management4.1.1 Bacterial wilt of tomato4.1.2 Fusarium wilt of tomato4.1.3 Bacterial wilt of brinjal4.1.4 Fusarium wilt of brinjal4.1.5.1 Root rot disease4.1.6 Blight diseases4.1.6.1  Early blight of potato4.1.6.2  Late blight of potato4.1.6.3 Blight disease of pepper4.1.7  Diseases of crucifers4.1.7.1  Bacterial soft rot of cabbage4.1.8  Diseases of cucumber4.1.8.1  Damping off and root rot of cucumberConclusion and future prospectsReferences Chapter 6Perspectives of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria in Growth Enhancement and Sustainable Production of Tomato1. Introduction2. Nutritional composition of tomato fruit3. Health benefits of lycopene4. Rhizosphere and PGPR4.1 Availability of nutrients in tomato rhizosphere and their interaction with PGPR4.2 Tomato growth enhancement by PGPR: A general perspective4.2.1 Direct mechanisms: Biological nitrogen fixation4.2.2 Phosphate solubilisation4.2.3 Production of phytohormones4.2.3. 1 Indole-3 acetic acid4.2.3.2 Cytokinins4.2.3.3 Gibberellins4.2.3.4 1-aminocyclopropane-1 carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase (EC 4.1.99.4)4.3 Indirect mechanisms: Biomanagement of phytopathogens4.3.1 Siderophore production4.3.2 Antibiosis4.4 Impact of PGPR inoculation on growth and yield of tomato4.4.1 PGPR mediated augmentation in lycopene production and other components of tomatoConclusionReferences Chapter 7Beneficial Role of Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria in Vegetable Production Under Abiotic Stress1 Introduction2. Impact of plant growth promoting bacteria on vegetables under stressed environment2.1 Role of PGPB in drought stress2.2 Role of PGPB in salinity stress2.3 Role of PGPB in high temperature2.4 Role of PGPB in low temperature2.5 Role of PGPB in nutritient stress2.6 Role of PGPB in heavy metal stressConclusionReferences Chapter 8Metal Toxicity to Certain Vegetables and Bioremediation of Metal Polluted Soils1.    Introduction2.    Heavy Metals: A brief account3.    Sources of Vegetable Contamination by Heavy Metals4.    Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals: A Serious Concern4.1 Vegetable toxicity by multiple metals4.2 Effect of metals on physiological processes of vegetables grown in metal stressed soil5.0 Bioremediation strategies adopted for heavy metal removal5.1 Phytoremediation5.2 Microbes Assisted RemediationConclusionReferences  Chapter 9Recent Advances in Management Strategies of Vegetable Diseases1. Introduction2. Soil borne phytopatogenic diseases of vegetables: A general account3. General effects of diseases on vegetable crop production4. Management practices for control of vegetable diseases4.1 Chemical control of vegetable phytopathogens4.2  Biomanagement of vegetable diseases4.2.1 Mechanism of disease suppression by biocontrol bacteria4.2.2 Antibiosis4.2.3 Siderophores4.2.4 Parasitism or lysis5. Examples of some vegetable diseases controlled by PGPR5.1 Onion (Allium cepa)5.2 Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L)5.3 Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)5.4 Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)5.5 Broccoli (Brassica oleracea)ConclusionReferences