Ajit Varma – författare

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the benefits of biofertilizers as an alternative to chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Agricultural production has increased massively over the last century due to increased use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, but these gains have come at a price. The chemicals are not only expensive; they also reduce microbial activity in agricultural soils and accumulate in the food chain, with potentially harmful effects for humans. Accordingly, it is high time to explore alternatives and to find solutions to overcome our increasing dependence on these chemicals.

Biofertilizers, which consist of plant remains, organic matter and microorganisms, might offer an alternative. They are natural, organic, biodegradable, eco-friendly and cost-effective. Further, the microbes present in the biofertilizers are important, because they produce nutrients required for plant growth (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), as well as substances essential for plant growth and development (e.g., auxins and cytokinins). Biofertilizers also improve the physical properties, fertility and productivity of soil, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers while maintaining high crop yield. This makes biofertilizers a powerful tool for sustainable agriculture and a sustainable environment.

The book covers the latest research on biofertilizers, ranging from beneficial fungal, bacterial and algal inoculants; to microbes for bioremediation, wastewater treatment; and recycling of biodegradable municipal, agricultural and industrial waste; as well as biocontrol agents and bio-pesticides. As such, it offers a valuable resource for researchers, academics and students in the broad fields of microbiology and agriculture.

This book gathers the latest findings on the microbial ecology of saline habitats, plant-microbe interactions under saline conditions, and saline soil reclamation for agricultural use. The content is divided into four main parts: Part I outlines the definition of salinity, its genesis and impacts, and microbial diversity in saline habitats. Part II deals with impact of salinity on microbial and plant life/health. Part III highlights plant – microbe interactions in saline environments, and Part IV describes strategies for mitigation and reclamation of saline soils. 

The salinization of arable land is steadily increasing in many parts of the world. An excessive concentration of soluble salts (salinity) in soils or irrigation water adversely affects plant growth and survival. This problem is exacerbated in arid and semiarid areas due to their low precipitation and high evaporation rates. In turn, poor management practices and policies for using river water forthe irrigation of agriculture crops often lead to the secondary salinization of soils.

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This book shares the latest insights into the genetic basis of molecular communication between plants and their microbial consortia. Further, the book highlights the capabilities of the rhizosphere and endosphere, which help manage ecosystem responses to climate change, nutrient cycling and sequestration of carbon; and discusses their application to the development and management of renewable energy sources.

In their natural environments, plants are surrounded by a tremendous number of microorganisms. Some microbes directly interact with plants in a mutually beneficial fashion, while others colonize plants solely for their own advantage. In addition, microbes can indirectly affect plants by drastically altering their environments. Understanding the complex nature of the plant-microbe interface (PMI) can pave the way for novel strategies to improve plant productivity in an eco-friendly manner.

The PMI approach focuses on understanding the physical, molecular, and chemical interactions between organisms in order to determine their functional roles in biological, physical, chemical and environmental systems. Although several metabolites from plants and microbes have now been fully characterized, their roles in chemical interactions between these associates remain poorly understood, and require further investigation.

Electronic and electric waste (e-waste), defined as end-of-life electronic products, including computers, television sets, mobile phones, transformers, capacitors, wires and cables, are a major global environmental concern. The crude recycling of e-waste releases persistent toxic substances, such as heavy metals, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and the environmental pollution and health risks caused by the improper disposal of e-waste has become an urgent issue.

This book offers an overview of e-waste history, sources, and entry routes in soil, air, water and sediment. It also addresses e-waste transport and fate, bioavailability and biomonitoring, e-waste risk assessment, impacts on the environment and public health. In addition, it discusses the impact of e-waste on soil microbial community diversity, structure and function and reviews the treatment and management strategies, such as bioremediation and phytoremediation, as well as policies and future challenges.

Given its scope, it is a valuable resource for students, researchers and scholars in the field of electronics manufacturing, environmental science and engineering, toxicology, environmental biotechnology, soil sciences and microbial ecology, as well as and plant biotechnology.

This book highlights recent advances in the field of plant-biotic interactions and explores current serious issues in the crop production industry. It is intended to attract more attention to these important, but often overlooked areas, and to stimulate new ideas for future research.

Plants are constantly under attack by pathogens, pests, and parasites, which can significantly impact worldwide food production and human health. While pathogens and pests attack and interconnect with their hosts in a variety of ways, plants have developed sophisticated immune systems to fight infections. In the field of plant-biotic interactions, most of the studies to date have focused on the function and signaling pathways of plant disease resistance proteins and pattern recognition receptors, as well as pathogen effector proteins. 

In contrast, this book presents new and emerging research areas, and introduces students, researchers, academics, and policy advisors to the latest trends in e.g. microbial technology, environmental microbiology, agricultural science, the health sciences, biological sciences and other related disciplines.

This book highlights treatment strategies for bacterial biofilms in connection with a variety of human diseases. In particular, it reviews bacterial biofilm formation and its mechanism.

Topics covered include biofilms in human health, the role of biofilms in mediating human diseases, and methods for testing bacterial biofilms. Further sections concentrate on biofilm-mediated diseases in different parts of the human gastrointestinal tract, while therapeutic strategies for biofilm control and natural agents that disrupt bacterial biofilms are also covered.

The book is chiefly intended for clinicians/scientists in the fields of medical microbiology, applied microbiology, biochemistry, and biotechnology.

This book provides an overview of the latest advances concerning symbiotic relationships between plants and microbes, and their applications in plant productivity and agricultural sustainability.

Symbiosis is a living phenomenon including dynamic variations in the genome, metabolism and signaling network, and adopting a multidirectional perspective on their interactions is required when studying symbiotic organisms.

Although various plant-microbe symbiotic systems are covered in this book, it especially focuses on arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) symbiosis and root nodule symbiosis, the two most prevalent systems. AM symbiosis involves the most extensive interaction between plants and microbes, in the context of phylogeny and ecology. As more than 90% of all known species of plants have the potential to form mycorrhizal associations, the productivity and species composition, as well as the diversity of natural ecosystems, are frequently dependent upon the presence and activity of mycorrhizas.

In turn, root nodule symbiosis includes morphogenesis and is formed by communication between plants and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The biotechnological application of plant–microbe symbiosis is expected to foster the production of agricultural and horticultural products while maintaining ecologically and economically sustainable production systems.

Designed as a hands-on guide, this book offers an essential resource for researchers and students in the areas of agri-biotechnology, soil biology and fungal biology.

This book highlights the latest findings on fundamental aspects of composting, the interaction of various microorganisms, and the underlying mechanisms. In addition to addressing modern tools and techniques used for composting research, it provides an overview of potential composting applications in both agriculture and environmental reclamation.

Composting is the process of organic waste decomposition, mediated by microorganisms. The end-product is called ‘compost’ and can be used as a supplement to improve soil fertility. As the municipal waste generated in most developing countries contains a substantial amount of organic matter suitable for composting, this technology offers a win-win opportunity for stakeholders in terms of disposing of organic waste and providing organic fertilizers for agriculture. In addition, using compost reduces the dependency on harmful chemical fertilizers, and represents a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative.

This book gathers the latest insights into soil health and its sustainability, providing an up-to-date overview of the various aspects of soil quality and fertility management, e.g., plant-microbe interactions to maintain soil health; and the use of algal, fungal and bacterial fertilizers and earthworms for sustainable soil health and agricultural production.

It first discusses the past, present, and future scenarios of soil health, and then explores factors influencing soil health, as well as the consequences of degradation of soil health for sustainable agriculture. Lastly it highlights solutions to improve and maintain soil health so as to achieve greater productivity and sustainability without damaging the soil system or the environment.

Soil health is defined as the capacity of a soil to function within ecosystem frontiers, to sustain biological productivity, to maintain environmental quality and to promote plant, animal and human health. Soil health is established through the interactions of physical, chemical and biological properties, e.g., soil texture, soil structure, and soil organisms. Healthy soil provides adequate levels of macro- and micronutrients to plants and contains sufficient populations of soil microorganisms. As a result of the increasingly intensified agriculture over the past few decades, soils are now showing symptoms of exhaustion and stagnating or declining crop yields. Exploring these developments as well as possible solutions based on holistic and sustainable approaches, this book is a valuable resource for researchers in the area of soil and environmental science, agronomy, agriculture, as well as students in the field of botany, ecology and microbiology.