List of Contributors xiii 1 Microbial Consortia Used as Biofertilizers and Biocontrol Agents in Agriculture 1 Tomás Rivas-García, Pablo Preciado-Rangel, Bernardo Murillo-Amador, Rita Schwentesius-Rindermann, Ramsés Ramón González Estrada, Benjamín Hernandez-Vazquez, and Juan Antonio Torres-Rodríguez 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Microbial Consortia 2 1.3 Microbial Consortia for Plant Nutrition 3 1.4 Microbial Consortia for Plant Protection 5 1.5 Microbial Consortia Development and Production 7 1.6 Microbial Consortia''s Challenges and Limitations 8 1.7 Conclusions and Future Perspectives 8 2 Microbial Consortia to Increase Crop Resilience to Drought Stress 15 Juan Antonio Torres-Rodriguez, Mercedes Susana Carranza-Patiño, Mayra Carolina Vélez Ruiz, Robinson J.

Herrera-Feijoo, and Tomás Rivas-García 2.1 Introduction 15 2.2 Selection and Design of Microbial Consortia to Increase Crop Resistance to Drought 16 2.3 Action Mechanisms of Microbial Consortia Against Drought Stress 18 2.4 Plant-Microbe Communication 19 2.5 Microbial Consortia Applied in Drought Stress Mitigation 20 2.6 Genomic and Biotechnological Advances in Microbial Consortia 24 2.7 Interactions Between Arthropods and Microbial Consortia in Drought Conditions 24 2.

8 Inert Dusts and Their Synergy with Microbial Consortia in Water Retention 27 2.9 Leading Countries in Microbial Consortia Research 29 2.10 Temporal Dynamics of Keywords in Microbial Consortia Studies 30 2.11 Conclusions or Future Prospective 31 3 Impediments and Limitations in the Production and Use of Biofertilizers 43 Gema Cárdenas-Flores, Ana Yareli Flores-Ramírez, Juan Edgardo Cortés-Aguilera, Martina Alejandra Chacón-López, Selene Aguilera-Aguirre, Rosa Isela Ortiz-Basurto, and Ulises Miguel López-García 3.1 Introduction 43 3.2 Biological and Ecological Factors 44 3.2.1 Microbial Interactions in the Rhizosphere 44 3.

2.2 Effect of Soil Contaminants on Biofertilizer Efficacy 46 3.3 Technical and Production Limitations 49 3.3.1 Solid Formulations 49 3.3.2 Liquid Formulations 50 3.3.

3 Metabolite-based Formulations 50 3.3.4 Encapsulation Technology 50 3.4 Economic Barriers 51 3.5 Regulatory Challenges in Biofertilizer Commercialization 52 3.5.1 Regulatory Frameworks in Developed Countries 52 3.5.

2 Global Disparities in Biofertilizer Regulations 53 3.5.3 The Challenge of GM Biofertilizers 53 3.6 Social and Cultural Acceptance 54 3.7 Research and Development 55 3.8 Conclusions 56 4 The Regulation of Nutrient Uptake, Transportation, and Physiological Functions of Microbial Consortia in Rice Crop Under Abiotic Stresses 65 Mario Alberto Soltero-Rios 4.1 Introduction 65 4.2 Root System in Rice and Essential Nutrients 66 4.

2.1 Root Structure 66 4.2.2 Essential Nutrients 67 4.3 Mechanisms of Nutrient Uptake and Transport in Rice 67 4.3.1 Nutrient Uptake 67 4.3.

2 Nutrient Transport 69 4.4 Microbial Consortia and Their Role in Rice Nutrition 70 4.4.1 Rhizosphere Microbes 70 4.4.2 Phyllosphere Microbes 70 4.4.3 Endosphere Microbes 71 4.

5 Abiotic Stress in Rice Crops: Effects and Physiological Responses 72 4.5.1 Drought Stress 72 4.5.2 Salinity Stress 72 4.5.3 Flooding Stress 72 4.5.

4 Heat Stress 72 4.5.5 Cold Stress 73 4.5.6 Nutrient Deficiency Stress 73 4.6 Response of Microbial Consortia to Abiotic Stress Conditions 73 4.6.1 Drought Stress 74 4.

6.2 Salinity Stress 74 4.6.3 Flooding Stress 75 4.6.4 Heat and Cold Stress 75 4.7 Microbial Mechanisms for Enhancing Nutrient Availability Under Abiotic Stress 77 4.8 Perspectives and Challenges in the Research of Microbial Consortia and Their Regulation Under Stress Conditions 79 4.

9 Conclusions 80 5 Plant Pathogen-specific PR Proteins Produced in Response to PGPR 89 Selene Aguilera-Aguirre, María Fernanda Olmedo-Díaz, Miriam del Carmen Bañuelos-González, Gema Cárdenas-Flores, Ulises Miguel López-García, Rosa Isela Ortiz-Basurto, and Martina Alejandra Chacón-López 5.1 Introduction 89 5.2 Recognition Systems in Plant Immunity 90 5.3 PR Proteins 91 5.3.1 PR Protein Classification 92 5.3.2 Factors That Promote PR Protein Production 93 5.

4 Plant Growth-promoting Rhizobacteria 95 5.4.1 Mechanism of the Production of PR Proteins by PGPRs 95 5.4.2 PGPR Inducers of PR Proteins in Plants 96 5.4.3 PGPR Consortia in the Induction of the Defense System 97 5.4.

4 Application of PGPR Bacteria in Plants and Their Beneficial Effect Against Phytopathogens 98 5.5 Conclusion 101 6 Current and Emerging Molecular Techniques for Microbial Consortia to Diagnose Plant Diseases 111 Dalpat Lal, Aparna, Sunidhi Tiwari, Nidhi Bhatt, and Durga Prasad 6.1 Introduction 111 6.2 Molecular Techniques 112 6.2.1 PCR and Its Modification 112 6.2.2 DNA Microarray 114 6.

2.3 DNA Macroarrays 115 6.2.4 Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization 115 6.2.5 Next-generation Sequencing 116 6.2.6 RNA Interference 116 6.

2.7 CRISPR/Cas Technology 117 6.3 Immunological Methods 118 6.3.1 Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay 118 6.3.2 Lateral Flow Immunoassay 122 6.3.

3 Aptamers Binding Assay 124 6.4 Biochemical Methods 124 6.4.1 Flow Cytometry 124 6.4.2 Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy 125 6.5 Biosensors 126 6.5.

1 Classification of Biosensors 126 7 Microbes: A New Approach Towards Sustainable Environment 141 Abha Sharma, Abhay Sharma, Agrim Rattan, Guneshori Maisnam, and Devashish 7.1 Introduction 141 7.1.1 Microbial Diversity and Ecosystem Functioning 143 7.2 Regulating Services 150 7.2.1 Climate Regulation 150 7.2.

2 Microbial Communities and the Carbon Cycle 150 7.2.3 Water Regulation and Purification 151 7.2.4 Disease and Pest Regulation 151 7.2.5 Biodegradation of Organic Waste and Xenobiotics 152 7.2.

6 Metal Detoxification 153 7.3 Supporting Services 153 7.3.1 Microbial Interactions in Soil Formation 154 7.3.2 Nutrient Cycling 154 7.3.3 Organic Matter Transformation 155 7.

3.4 Role of Microbes in Plant Growth Promotion 156 7.3.5 Soil Microorganisms as Indicators 156 7.4 Provisioning Services 157 7.4.1 Importance of Microorganisms in Food Processing 158 7.4.

2 Importance of Microorganisms in Food Production 158 7.4.3 Use of Microorganisms in Pharmaceuticals 159 7.5 Cultural Services 160 7.6 Conclusion 161 8 Identification of Plant-derived Microbial Consortium Resistant to Biotic Stress 171 Ashwini Ananda, Aditya Kumar, Abha Sharma, Victor Thingujam, and Aashita Shree 8.1 Introduction 171 8.2 Microbial Diversity in Plant Systems 172 8.2.

1 Types of Beneficial Plant-associated Microbes 172 8.2.2 Common Microbial Genera Associated with Plant Protection 172 8.2.3 Role of Microbial Consortia in Plant-Microbe Interactions 173 8.3 Mechanisms of Biotic Stress Resistance Mediated by Microbial Consortia 174 8.3.1 Direct Mechanisms 174 8.

3.2 Indirect Mechanisms 174 8.4 Methods for Identification and Characterization of Microbial Consortia 176 8.4.1 Culture-dependent Approaches 176 8.4.2 Culture-independent Molecular Tools 176 8.4.

3 Biochemical and Physiological Screening 177 8.5 Plant-associated Factors Influencing Microbial Consortia Selection 177 8.6 Application of Microbial Consortia in Biotic Stress Management 178 8.6.1 Development of Bioinoculants and Biopesticides 178 8.6.2 Field Application Strategies (Seed Treatment, Foliar Spray, Soil Drenching) and Compatibility with Integrated Pest and Disease Management Programs 179 8.6.

3 Case Studies of Successful Microbial Consortia in Disease Suppression 179 8.7 Conclusion 181 9 Support of Microbial Formulations to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDGs) 189 Monika Singh, R.S. Sengar, Karuna Singh, Rakesh, Aastha, Shivani Pal, and Rocky Kumar 9.1 Introduction 189 9.2 Bioformulation as Plant Growth-promoting Bacteria 191 9.2.1 Molecular Approaches in Plant-Microbe Interaction 195 9.

3 Biofertilizers and Biopesticides as Microbial Bioformulation 197 9.4 Bioplastics 197 9.4.1 Polyhydroxybutyrates as a Promising Approach to Achieve Zero Hunger 198 9.5 Microbial Biochar 200 9.6 Bioaugmentation Support to Crop Productivity 201 9.7 Microbial Formulations as Bio-control Agents 202 9.7.

1 Molecular Mechanism of Microbial Cells: As Biocontrol Agents Against Plant Pathogens 202 9.8 Microbial Enzymes Promoting Nutrient Uptake 204 9.8.1 Soil Enzymes'' Role in Agriculture 205 9.8.2 Enzymes Promoting Plant Growth 205 9.9 Challenges and Future Prospects 206 9.10 Conclusion 206 10 The Synergism of Microbial Interactions Impacting Health and the Environment 215 Meenakshi Sharma, Raj Kishor Kapardar, and Rajpal Srivastav 10.

1 Introduction 215 10.2 Microbial Synergistic Activities and Antimicrobial Resistance 216 10.3 Microbes Alter Metabolism 217 10.4 Microbial Synergism, Biofilms, and Plastisphere 218 10.5 Conclusive Remarks 219 Acknowledgment 219 11 Encouraging Probiotics as Plant St.