Microbial Strategies for Vegetable Production

Chapter 1 Microbial Inoculants in Organic Vegetable Production: Current Perspective 1. Introduction 2. Need of organic vegetables 3. Essential characteristics of organic farming systems 4. Microbial inoculants as components of organic production 4.1 Microbes as biofertilizers in organic cultivation 4.1.1 Nitrogen fixing biofertilizers 4.1.1.1 Nitrogen fixation through nodule formation in leguminous vegetable crops 4.1.1.2 Azotobacter as free living nitrogen fixer 4.1.1.3 Azospirillum as nitrogen fixer 4.1.2 Phosphorus solubilising microorganisms 4.1.3 Potassium solubilizing bacteria 4.1.4 Mycorrhiza as biofertilizer 5. Microbes as bio-control agents for suppression of plant diseases 5.1 Trichoderma in organic disease management: 5.2 Fluorescent pseudomonads as biocontrol agent in organic cultivation: 6. Microbes for decomposition of organic residues 7. Factors affecting the efficacy of microbial inoculants Conclusions Reference
Chapter 2 Plant growth promoting bacteria: Importance in vegetable production 1. Introduction 2. Place of PGPR in Food safety and agricultural challenges 3. Mechanism of growth promotion by PGPR-A general perspective 3.1 Nitrogen fixation 3.2 Nitrification 3.3 Denitrification 3.4 Phosphate solubilisation 3.5 Siderophores, a powerful tool for antagonism and competition 3.6 Bacterial phytohormones and plant growth regulation 3.6.1 Auxins: biosynthesis and their place in the plant-PGPR interaction 3.6.2 Gibberellins: miraculous molecules for plant growth regulation 3.6.3 Cytokinins and plant growth regulation 3.6.4 Ethylene 3.6.5 Abscisic acid 3.6.6 Bacterial ACC desaminase: A hormone balancing signal molecule 4. PGPR-hydrolytic enzymes 5. Systemic tolerance and systemic resistance induction by PGPR Conclusion References Chapter 3 Role of Nitrogen Fixing Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria in Sustainable Production of Vegetables: Current Perspective 1. Introduction 2. Rationale for using nitrogen fixers in vegetable production 3. Nitrogen fixers-Vegetable Interactions: How nitrogen fixers enter vegetables 4. Mechanism of vegetable Growth Promotion by nitrogen fixing plant growth promoting rhizobacteria 5. Nitrogen fixing plant growth promoting rhizobacteria improve vegetable production: A general perspective 6. Effects of nitrogen fixing plant growth promoting rhizobacteria on important vegetable crops 6.1 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) Conclusion References Chapter 4 Role of Plant growth Promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in the improvement of vegetable crop production under stress conditions 1. Introduction 2. Stress factors 2.1Soil salinization 2.1.1 Effect of salinity on plant growth 2.1.2 Impact of salinity on microorganisms 3. Drought 3.1 Influence of drought stress on morphological characteristics of plants 4. Alleviation of drought and salinity stress by plant growth promoting rhizobacteria Conclusion References Chapter 5 Growth improvement and management of vegetable diseases by plant growth promoting rhizobacteria 1. Introduction 2. Rationale for using PGPR in the Management of Vegetables Diseases 3. How plant growth promoting rhizobacteria combat phytopathogen attack: A general perspective 3.1 Release of siderophores 3.2 Production of cyanogenic compounds 3.3 Production of antibiotics 3.4 Secretion of lytic enzymes 3.5 Induced systemic resistance (ISR) 3.6 Competition 4. Some Examples of Growth Promotion and Vegetable Disease Management by PGPR Wilt disease: A general perspective 4.1 Diseases of tomato and their management 4.1.1 Bacterial wilt of tomato 4.1.2 Fusarium wilt of tomato 4.1.3 Bacterial wilt of brinjal 4.1.4 Fusarium wilt of brinjal <4.1.5 Diseases of okra 4.1.5.1 Root ro