Microorganisms in Sustainable Agriculture and Biotechnology

852 Pages·2012·13.92 MB·English

by  Bijender Singh

Microorganisms in Sustainable Agriculture
and Biotechnology

T. Satyanarayana (cid:129) Bhavdish Narain Johri
Anil Prakash
Editors
Microorganisms
in Sustainable Agriculture
and Biotechnology
Editors
T. Satyanarayana Bhavdish Narain Johri
Department of Microbiology Department of Biotechnology
Fac. Inter-Disciplinary and Applied Sciences and Bioinformatics Centre
University of Delhi Barkatullah University
Benito Juarez Road Bhopal
South Campus India
110021 New Delhi [email protected]
India
[email protected]
Anil Prakash
Department of Biotechnology
and Bioinformatics Centre
Barkatullah University
Bhopal
India
[email protected]
ISBN 978-94-007-2213-2 e-ISBN 978-94-007-2214-9
DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-2214-9
Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg London New York
Library of Congress Control Number: 2011944030
© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012
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Foreword
Microbes are ubiquitous and occur in a great variety of normal and extreme, and
natural and man-made environments on the Earth. The existence and continuance of
other organisms in various ecosystems may not be possible without the activities of
these tiny microbes. With approximately 1% culturable microbial diversity known
till date, understanding the remaining 99% in different ecosystems is wide open to
investigation.
Although the signifi cance of culture-dependent approach is remarkable due to its
invaluable contribution and reliability, the large fi gure of uncultured, and thus,
untouched microbes cannot be ignored. Since the introduction of the concept of
direct cloning of community DNA in 1985 by Norman Pace, metagenomic
approaches applied in a variety of natural habitats have led to understanding the
diversity of uncultured microbes, and discovery and characterization of novel genes
and gene products.
The application of fossil fuel based inputs such as chemical fertilizers, pesti-
cides, herbicides and others has resulted in increased production. This has, however,
led to growing awareness and concern over their adverse effects on soil productivity
and environmental quality. The high cost of chemical fertilizers and pesticides,
increasing gap between supply and demand and adverse effect on the environment
has encouraged scientists to develop alternate strategies for enhancing productivity.
An approach in this direction is utilizing soil microbes as bioinoculants for supply-
ing nutrients and/or stimulating plant growth. Some of the rhizospheric microbes
are known to synthesize plant growth promoting substances, siderophores and anti-
biotics, and aid in enhancing the availability of phosphorus. The global research
efforts have enabled us to understand some of the diffi cult problems related to
microbial sources by using powerful tools of microbial genetics, molecular biology
and biotechnology.
Large quantities of over 100 industrial products such as ethanol and butanol,
organic acids, amino acids and others are produced annually. Although a number of
these compounds are produced from petrochemicals, all are obtainable by microbial
fermentations. Any shift in future towards greater productivity by a biomass-based
chemical industry will depend strictly on economics rather than feasibility.
v
vi Foreword
The book includes a collection of reviews on various aspects of sustainable agri-
culture and biotechnology. Elegant attempts have been made to summarize the
developments achieved till date and problems and prospects with further sugges-
tions for future course of action. I believe that the book would provide an overview
of developments in sustainable agriculture and biotechnology with some new ideas,
which could serve as inspiration and challenge for researchers in the fi eld.
S. Ayyappan
Secretary and Director General
Department of Agricultural Research & Education
and
Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Ministry of Agriculture, Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi
Preface

The culture-dependent approach has contributed signifi cantly towards understand-
ing the role of microorganisms in the environment and production of a wide variety
of products in the welfare of mankind. Approximately 1% of the extant microbial
diversity is culturable, and therefore, most of the knowledge of microbes and their
applications has originated from this very small fraction of the microbial diversity
in different ecosystems. In order to access the large fi gure of unculturable, and thus,
untouched microbes, metagenomic approaches have now been used quite exten-
sively for understanding microbial diversity and exploitation of useful genes for
novel metabolic products.
Microorganisms have served the mankind in solving intractable problems
through their biosynthetic capabilities in medical technology, human and animal
health, food processing, food safety and quality, genetic engineering, environmental
protection, agricultural biotechnology and more effective treatment of agriculture,
and municipal and industrial waste treatment, which provide a most impressive
record of achievements. Most of these technological advancements would not have
been possible using conventional straightforward chemical and physical engineering
methods, or if they were, they would not have been practically or economically
feasible and could have caused considerable environmental degradation.
For many years, soil microbiologists and microbial ecologists have differentiated
soil microbes as benefi cial, harmful or neutral according to their function, and how
they affect soil quality, plant growth and yield, and plant health. Benefi cial micro-
organisms are those that can fi x atmospheric nitrogen, decomposes organic waste and
residue, detoxify pesticides, suppress plant diseases and soil-borne pathogens, enhance
nutrient cycling and produce bioactive compounds such as vitamins, hormones and
enzymes that stimulate plant growth. Harmful microorganisms are those that can
induce plant disease, stimulate soil borne pathogens, immobilize nutrients and pro-
duce toxic and putrescent substances that adversely affect plant growth and health.
Benefi cial naturally occurring microorganisms can be utilized as inoculants to increase
their population in soil, and thus utilize them in sustainable agricultural systems.
The conceptual designs are important in developing new technologies for utiliz-
ing benefi cial and effective microorganisms for a more sustainable agriculture and
vii
viii Preface
production of useful bioactive compounds. An idealized system based on this should
maintain and improve human health, be economically benefi cial to both producers
and consumers, actively protect the environment, be self contained and regenerative
and produce enough food for ever increasing world population on a long term and
sustainable basis.
This book is aimed at reviewing the recent developments in understanding the
role of microorganisms in sustainable agriculture and biotechnology. Towards this
end, we have requested scientists who have expertise in different areas of agricul-
ture and industrial microbiology and/or biotechnology to review the progress made
in these areas till date. We wish to place on record our heartfelt thanks to all the
contributors of the book. We thank Mr. Ankit Kumar for support with the background
work. We wish to also express our thanks to Springer for publishing the book.
T. Satyanarayana
B.N. Johri
Anil Prakash
(Editors)
Contents
Part I Microbes in Sustainable Agriculture
1 Plant Growth Promotion by Phytases and Phytase-Producing
Microbes due to Amelioration in Phosphorus Availability ................. 3
Bijender Singh and T. Satyanarayana
2 Environmental and Nutritional Benefi ts of Biopreservation
of Animal Feed ........................................................................................ 17
Matilda Olstorpe and Volkmar Passoth
3 Pivotal Role of Organic Acid Secretion by Rhizobacteria
in Plant Growth Promotion .................................................................... 35
G. Archana, A. Buch, and G. Naresh Kumar
4 Organic Farming: For Sustainable Production
and Environmental Protection ............................................................... 55
M.N. Sreenivasa
5 Utilization of Psychrotolerant Phosphate Solubilizing
Fungi Under Low Temperature Conditions
of the Mountain Ecosystem .................................................................... 77
K. Rinu, Anita Pandey, and Lok Man S. Palni
6 Antimicrobial Lipopeptides of Bacillus: Natural
Weapons for Biocontrol of Plant Pathogens ......................................... 91
Ankit Kumar and B.N. Johri
7 Frankia and Actinorhizal Symbiosis ..................................................... 113
Arnab Sen and Arvind K. Misra
8 Microbes in Agrowaste Management
for Sustainable Agriculture .................................................................... 127
Surender Singh, Balkar Singh, Brijesh Kumar Mishra,
Alok Kumar Pandey, and Lata Nain
ix