Potassium Solubilizing Microorganisms for Sustainable Agriculture

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Potassium Solubilizing Microorganisms for Sustainable Agriculture ThiS is a FM Blank Page Vijay Singh Meena • Bihari Ram Maurya • Jay Prakash Verma • Ram Swaroop Meena Editors

Potassium Solubilizing Microorganisms for Sustainable Agriculture Editors Vijay Singh Meena Bihari Ram Maurya Crop Production Division Institute of Agricultural Sciences ICAR – Vivekananda Institute Banaras Hindu University of Hill Agriculture Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India Almora, Uttarakhand, India

Jay Prakash Verma Ram Swaroop Meena Institute of Environment and Institute of Agricultural Sciences Sustainable Development Banaras Hindu University Banaras Hindu University Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

ISBN 978-81-322-2774-8 ISBN 978-81-322-2776-2 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-81-322-2776-2

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016941176

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This Springer imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer (India) Pvt. Ltd. Foreword

After nitrogen and phosphorus, potassium is one of the major nutrients required by all the plants. It plays a major role in the activation of several metabolic processes including protein synthesis, photosynthesis, enzyme activation, the transport of water and nutrients in the plants through xylem and synthesis of starch. It also plays a role in improving shelf life of crops and disease resistance. It is often observed that without adequate potassium, the plants have poorly developed roots, grow slowly, produce small seeds and have lower yields. Potassium in soil exists in different forms but the crop can absorb what is present in soil solution only. The readily available potassium in soil solution is just 2 % out of the total, and the remaining part of soil potassium is locked up in soil minerals and hence most of it is unavailable for plant uptake. Also, in most of the soils, potassium decreases easily due to crop uptake, runoff, leaching and soil erosion. Soil potassium management strategies rely on inorganic chemical-based fertilizers cause a serious threat to human health and environment. In many developing countries, the entire requirement of potassium fertilizer is met by imports and distributed to farmers at subsidized price. But at places, where soils are naturally rich in potassium, the application of potassium solubilizing bacteria as biofertilizer for agriculture can reduce the use of chemical fertilizer and support sustainable agriculture. A large number of saprophytic bacterial and fungal strains have been identiﬁed which solubilize potassium from insoluble forms like mica, ﬂedspar and others by microbial production of protons and organic ligands, hydroxyl anions and extracellular polysaccharides (EPS), which can either directly dissolve rock potassium or chelate silicon ions to bring potassium into the solution. v vi Foreword

I commend this book to researchers and students interested in the area of PGPM and sustainable agriculture. The editors of this book deserve credit for compiling articles on this interesting topic of potassium solubilizing microorganisms. Authors of the chapters present a fascinating and stimulating collection of articles focusing on isolation and screening of potassium solubilizing microorganisms, mechanism of solubilization and evaluation of their effectiveness in greenhouse as well as in ﬁeld. This book is a comprehensive treatment of past and current knowledge on the subject. I am sure that this book will provide a rapid update and truly inspire further research in this fascinating area relevant to sustainable agriculture

Varanasi 11 November, 2015

Opp. LD Guesthouse Akhilesh Singh Raghubanshi Banaras Hindu University Professor and Director Varanaisi Contents

1 Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganism in Evergreen Agriculture: An Overview ...... 1 Vijay Singh Meena, Indra Bahadur, Bihari Ram Maurya, Ashok Kumar, Rajesh Kumar Meena, Sunita Kumari Meena, and Jay Prakash Verma 1.1 Introduction ...... 2 1.1.1 Potassium and Its Importance ...... 3 1.1.2 Global Potassium Demand ...... 4 1.1.3 Potassium Status of Soils in India ...... 4 1.1.4 Potassium Fixation in Soil ...... 5 1.2 Need for Fertilizers ...... 6 1.2.1 Potassic Fertilizers ...... 6 1.2.2 Fertilizers and Environmental Pollution ...... 6 1.2.3 Availability of Potassium in Soil ...... 7 1.2.4 Forms and Availability of Potassium ...... 7 1.3 Environmental Factors Affecting Potassium Solubilization ...... 7 1.3.1 Potassium Functions in Plants ...... 8 1.3.2 Quantiﬁcation of Potassium Solubilization . . . . 9 1.4 Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms (KSMs) ...... 9 1.4.1 Potassium-Solubilizing Bacteria (KSB) ...... 10 1.4.2 Potassium-Solubilizing Fungi (KSF) ...... 10 1.4.3 Mechanisms of K-Solubilization ...... 11 1.5 Morphological and Biochemical Characterization . . . . . 12 1.6 Molecular Biology of Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganism ...... 12 1.7 Effect of Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms on Plant Growth and Yield ...... 14 1.8 Future Prospect of Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms ...... 16 References ...... 17

vii viii Contents

2 Potassium as an Important Plant Nutrient in Sustainable Agriculture: A State of the Art ...... 21 Durgesh Kumar Jaiswal, Jay Prakash Verma, Satya Prakash, Vijay Singh Meena, and Ram Swaroop Meena 2.1 Introduction ...... 21 2.2 Forms of Soil Potassium ...... 22 2.3 Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms (KSMs) ...... 23 2.4 Mechanisms Involved in K Solubilization ...... 24 2.5 Function of Potassium in Plant ...... 25 2.6 Factors Affecting Potassium Solubilization ...... 26 2.7 Molecular Characterization of KSMs ...... 27 2.8 Future Approaches and Development Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture ...... 27 2.9 Conclusions ...... 27 References ...... 27 3 Growth-Promoting Effect of Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms on Some Crop Species ...... 31 Hossein Zahedi 3.1 Introduction ...... 31 3.2 Potassium Fixation in Soil ...... 33 3.3 Determination and Adjustment of the Potassium Supply of Crops ...... 33 3.3.1 Soil Analysis ...... 34 3.3.2 Bacterial Culture and Inoculant Preparation . . . 34 3.4 Potassium Functions in Plants ...... 35 3.5 Potassium and Crop Stress Resistance ...... 36 3.6 Effect of KSB on Some Plants ...... 37 3.6.1 Eggplant ...... 37 3.6.2 Pepper and Cucumber ...... 38 3.6.3 Sorghum ...... 38 3.7 Concluding Remarks and Future Prospects ...... 40 References ...... 41 4 Role of Rhizosphere Microflora in Potassium Solubilization ...... 43 M.P. Raghavendra, S. Chandra Nayaka, and B.R. Nuthan 4.1 Introduction ...... 44 4.2 Sources of K in Soil ...... 45 4.3 Rhizosphere Microflora ...... 45 4.4 Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms (KSMs) ...... 46 4.4.1 Role of Earthworms’ Gut Microflora in Mineralization of Soil Minerals ...... 47 4.4.2 Transformation of Potassium by Soil Microbes ...... 48 4.5 Role of Potassium in Plant Growth and Developments . . . 48 4.5.1 Potassium Uptake in Plants ...... 50 4.5.2 Potassium Deficiencies in Plants ...... 50 Contents ix

4.6 Roles of KSMs in Agriculture ...... 51 4.7 Mechanism of K Solubilization by Soil Microflora . . . . 52 4.7.1 Role of Acids in Mineral Solubilization ...... 54 4.8 Effect of KSMs on K Availability in Soils ...... 55 4.9 Future Approach for KSMs ...... 55 References ...... 55 5 The Molecular Mechanisms of KSMs for Enhancement of Crop Production Under Organic Farming ...... 61 Ashok Kumar, Jai Singh Patel, Indra Bahadur, and Vijay Singh Meena 5.1 Introduction ...... 62 5.1.1 Solubilization/Mobilization of Potassium from Rocks or Mica ...... 62 5.1.2 Efficient Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms (KSMs) and Their Occurrence ...... 63 5.1.3 Potassium Solubilizers as Alternate Method for Biofertilizers ...... 63 5.1.4 Potassium-Solubilizing Mechanisms of KSMs . . . 65 5.2 Inoculation Effect of Potassium Solubilizers or with Other Bacteria on Different Crops ...... 67 5.3 Effect of Potassium-Solubilizing Bacteria on Availability of Potassium in Soils ...... 69 5.4 Effect of Root Exudates on Potassium Availability in Soils ...... 70 5.5 Potassium Fixation in Soil ...... 70 5.6 Potassium Nutrition and Crop Stress Resistance ...... 70 5.7 Future Prospectus of KSMs ...... 71 5.8 Concluding Remarks ...... 71 References ...... 72 6 Mycorrhizal Fungi: Role in the Solubilization of Potassium ...... 77 Jose Alfonso Dominguez-Nun˜ez, Begonã Benito, Marta Berrocal-Lobo, and Ada Albanesi 6.1 Introduction ...... 78 6.2 Plant Potassium Nutrition Associated with Mycorrhizal Symbiosis ...... 78 6.2.1 Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis ...... 78 6.2.2 Ectomycorrhizal Symbiosis ...... 80 6.3 Mechanisms of K-Solubilization: Weathering ...... 81 6.4 Molecular Biology and Transport of Potassium in Mycorrhizal Interactions ...... 86 6.4.1 K+ Transport Through Mycorrhizal Fungi .... 86 6.4.2 K+ Transport Through Plants ...... 87 6.5 Benefits of Mycorrhizal Potassium Uptake for Plants . . . 88 6.5.1 Improvement of Plant Stress ...... 88 6.5.2 Protection Against Radiocesium Pollution . . . . 90 6.6 Concluding Remarks ...... 91 References ...... 91 x Contents

7 Diversity of Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms and Their Interactions with Plants ...... 99 Encarna Vela´zquez, Luis R. Silva, Martha-Helena Ramı´rez-Bahena, and Alvaro Peix 7.1 Introduction ...... 100 7.2 Sources of Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms (KSMs) ...... 100 7.3 Diversity of Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms (KSMs) ...... 101 7.3.1 Gram-Negative K-Solubilizing Bacteria (KSB) ...... 101 7.3.2 Gram-Positive K-Solubilizing Bacteria ...... 104 7.3.3 K-Solubilizing Fungi (KSF) ...... 105 7.4 KSMs as Plant Growth Promoters ...... 106 7.5 Future Perspectives for KSMs ...... 107 7.6 Conclusions ...... 108 References ...... 108 8 Interactions Between Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms on Agricultural Productivity ...... 111 Perumalsamy Priyadharsini and Thangavelu Muthukumar 8.1 Introduction ...... 112 8.2 Do K and P Solubilization Share a Common Mechanism? ...... 113 8.3 Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) ...... 115 8.4 Role of AMF in K Uptake ...... 115 8.5 Soil Microorganisms and AMF ...... 116 8.6 Inﬂuence of AMF on Rhizosphere Bacteria ...... 117 8.7 Inﬂuence of KSM on AMF Colonization ...... 118 8.7.1 Bacteria ...... 118 8.7.2 Fungi ...... 119 8.8 Interactions Between KSMs and AMF on Plant Growth and K Content ...... 120 8.9 Conclusions ...... 121 References ...... 121 9 Can Potassium-Solubilising Bacteria Mitigate the Potassium Problems in India? ...... 127 Madhumonti Saha, Bihari Ram Maurya, Indra Bahadur, Ashok Kumar, and Vijay Singh Meena 9.1 Introduction ...... 128 9.1.1 Potassium Mining from Indian Soils ...... 128 9.1.2 Potassium in Soil (Forms of K) ...... 129 9.2 Potassium-Solubilising Bacteria ...... 131 9.2.1 Importance of Potassium Solubilisation ...... 131 9.2.2 Mechanisms of K Solubilisation ...... 132 9.3 Plant Growth-Promoting Activates of KSB ...... 133 Contents xi

9.4 Responses of Potassium-Solubilising Bacteria on Plant Growth and Yield ...... 133 9.5 Future Scope ...... 134 9.6 Conclusions ...... 134 References ...... 135 10 Mechanism of Potassium Solubilization in the Agricultural Soils by the Help of Soil Microorganisms ...... 137 Sajid Masood and Asghari Bano 10.1 Introduction ...... 137 10.2 Occurrence of K and Its Sources ...... 138 10.3 Functions of K in Plants ...... 139 10.4 Role of Soil Microorganisms in K Solubilization ...... 140 10.4.1 General Importance ...... 140 10.4.2 K Solubilization by Microbial Species ...... 140 10.4.3 Major Mechanistic Processes Responsible for K Solubilization ...... 143 10.5 Factors Responsible for K Solubilization ...... 143 10.5.1 Soil pH ...... 144 10.5.2 Production of Organic Acids and Other Organic Materials ...... 144 10.6 Concluding Remark ...... 145 References ...... 145 11 Regulation of Plant Physiology and Antioxidant Enzymes for Alleviating Salinity Stress by Potassium-Mobilizing Bacteria ...... 149 Yachana Jha and R.B. Subramanian 11.1 Introduction ...... 150 11.2 Isolation and Identiﬁcation of KSM and Its Quantitative Potassium Solubilization ...... 151 11.3 Titratable Acidity and Organic Acid Production ...... 152 11.4 Rice Cultivation, Inoculation and Effect on Growth Parameters Under Saline Stress ...... 154 11.5 Effect of KSM on Photosynthesis Under Saline Stress in Plants ...... 155 11.6 Effect of KSM on Nutrient Acquisition by Plant Roots Under Saline Stress ...... 156 11.7 Effect of KSM on Accumulation of Osmoprotectant Under Saline Stress in Plants ...... 157 11.8 Effect of KSM on Lipid Peroxidation Activity Under Saline Stress in Plants ...... 158 11.9 Study of the Effect of KSM on Protein Expression by Protein Proﬁling ...... 159 11.10 Concluding Remarks and Future Perspectives ...... 159 References ...... 160 xii Contents

12 Can Bacillus spp. Enhance K+ Uptake in Crop Species ..... 163 Muhammad Yasin, Iqra Munir, and Muhammad Faisal 12.1 Introduction ...... 163 12.2 Potassium-Solubilizing Bacteria (KSB) ...... 164 12.3 K Solubilization Mechanisms ...... 164 12.4 The Factor Influences the K Solubilization? ...... 165 12.5 K+ Transporters ...... 166 12.6 Effect of KSB on Growth and Yield of Crop Species . . . 167 12.7 Concluding Remark ...... 168 References ...... 168 13 Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms (KSMs) and Its Effect on Plant Growth Improvement ...... 171 S.S. Sindhu, Priyanka Parmar, Manisha Phour, and Anju Sehrawat 13.1 Introduction ...... 172 13.2 Availability of Potassium in the Soil ...... 173 13.3 Characterization of Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms (KSMs) ...... 173 13.4 Potassium Solubilization: Mechanisms Involved ...... 175 13.5 Influence of KSB on Growth and Yield of Different Crops ...... 177 13.5.1 Inoculation Effect of Potassium-Solubilizing Bacteria on Plant Growth ...... 178 13.5.2 Coinoculation of Potassium-Solubilizing Microbes with Other Beneficial Bacteria . . . . . 179 13.6 Strategies to Improve Potassium Solubilization Efficiency for Its Use as Biofertilizer ...... 180 13.7 Conclusion ...... 181 References ...... 182 14 Dynamics of Potassium and Their Bioavailability for Plant Nutrition ...... 187 Brijesh Kumar Yadav and Ajaib Singh Sidhu 14.1 Introduction ...... 188 14.2 The Forms of K in Soil ...... 189 14.2.1 Readily Available K ...... 189 14.2.2 Slowly Available K ...... 189 14.2.3 The Unavailable K ...... 190 14.3 The Behavior of K in Soil ...... 190 14.4 The K Cycle in Soil ...... 191 14.5 K Fixation and Release ...... 191 14.6 The K-Solubilizing/K-Mobilizing Microorganisms . . . . 193 14.7 The Mechanisms of K Solubilization/Mobilization . . . . 194 14.8 The Effect of KSMs on Crop Growth and Yield ...... 195 Contents xiii

14.9 Factors Affecting K Availability and Uptake ...... 196 14.9.1 Soil Factors ...... 196 14.9.2 Plant Factors ...... 197 14.9.3 Fertilizer and Management Practices ...... 198 14.10 Concluding Remarks ...... 198 References ...... 198 15 Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms: Mechanism and Their Role in Potassium Solubilization and Uptake .... 203 Ashish Sharma, Deepti Shankhdhar, and S.C. Shankhdhar 15.1 Introduction ...... 204 15.2 Potassium Status of Indian Soils ...... 206 15.3 Potassium Pools in Agricultural Soils ...... 207 15.4 Factors Affecting K Uptake ...... 209 15.5 Mechanism of K Uptake in Plants ...... 209 15.6 Potassium Channels and Transporters ...... 210 15.6.1 Shaker Channels ...... 210 15.6.2 KCO Channels ...... 211 15.6.3 KUP/HAK/KT Transporters ...... 211 15.6.4 HKT Transporters ...... 212 15.7 Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms (KSMs) ...... 212 15.8 Mechanism of K Solubilization ...... 213 15.9 Conclusions ...... 215 References ...... 215 16 KSM Soil Diversity and Mineral Solubilization, in Relation to Crop Production and Molecular Mechanism ...... 221 Manoj Shrivastava, P.C. Srivastava, and S.F. D’Souza 16.1 Introduction ...... 222 16.2 Potassium Dynamics in Soil and Availability to Plants . . . 222 16.2.1 Soil Factors Affecting K Availability to Plants . . . 224 16.3 Potassium-Solubilizing Microbes (KSMs) ...... 225 16.3.1 Diversity of KSMs in Agricultural Soil ...... 225 16.3.2 Role of Mycorrhiza in Potassium Uptake by Plants ...... 225 16.3.3 Plant Growth Promotion by KSMs ...... 226 16.3.4 Immobilization of KSMs for Soil Application . . . 228 16.4 Mechanism of Potassium Solubilization ...... 228 16.5 Molecular Mechanism of K Solubilization ...... 229 16.6 Concluding Remarks and Future Prospects ...... 230 References ...... 230 17 Potassium and Its Role in Sustainable Agriculture ...... 235 Jyoti Rawat, Pankaj Sanwal, and Jyoti Saxena 17.1 Introduction ...... 236 17.1.1 Forms of Potassium ...... 236 17.2 Potassium as Fertilizer ...... 237 17.2.1 Potassium Chloride ...... 237 17.2.2 Potassium Sulfate ...... 237 xiv Contents

17.2.3 Potassium Magnesium Sulfate ...... 238 17.2.4 Potassium Nitrate ...... 238 17.3 Functions of Potassium in Plants ...... 238 17.3.1 Biotic Stress Resistance ...... 238 17.3.2 Abiotic Stress Resistance ...... 239 17.4 Deficiency of Potassium ...... 241 17.5 Pathways and Mechanisms for Potassium Uptake ..... 242 17.5.1 Bacterial Cell Wall ...... 242 17.5.2 Bioleaching ...... 243 17.5.3 Mineral Weathering ...... 243 17.5.4 Microbial Weathering ...... 243 17.5.5 Biofilm ...... 244 17.5.6 Mechanical Fragmentation ...... 244 17.6 Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms (KSMs) ...... 244 17.7 KSM Role in Sustainable Agriculture ...... 246 17.8 Concluding Remarks ...... 247 References ...... 247 18 Towards the Soil Sustainability and Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms ...... 255 Indra Bahadur, Bihari Ram Maurya, Ashok Kumar, Vijay Singh Meena, and Richa Raghuwanshi 18.1 Introduction ...... 256 18.2 Need of Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms (KSMs) in K Nutrition ...... 257 18.3 Biodiversity of KSMs ...... 258 18.4 The Nature of K Biofertilizers ...... 259 18.4.1 Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms (KSMs) ...... 259 18.4.2 Search for Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms (KSMs) ...... 260 18.5 KSM: A Promising Approach in Sustainable Agriculture ...... 260 18.6 Methods of KSM Applications ...... 261 18.7 Factors Affecting KSM Inoculants ...... 262 18.8 Effects of KSMs on Crop Response ...... 262 18.9 Reasons Why KSM Inoculants Do Not Respond to the Crop Species ...... 263 18.10 Conclusions ...... 263 References ...... 264 19 Potassium Uptake by Crops as Well as Microorganisms .... 267 M.L. Dotaniya, V.D. Meena, B.B. Basak, and Ram Swaroop Meena 19.1 Introduction ...... 268 19.2 Deficiency Token in Plants ...... 268 19.3 Potassium Chemistry in Soil ...... 269 19.4 Potassium Released from Fixed Sites ...... 270 Contents xv

19.5 Potassium Uptake by Crop Species ...... 271 19.6 Potassium Uptake and Solubilization by Microbes . . . . . 273 19.7 Application of KSM for Plant Nutrition ...... 274 19.8 Factors Affecting Potassium Availability in Soil ...... 277 19.8.1 Soil Texture ...... 277 19.8.2 Soil Depth ...... 277 19.8.3 Soil pH ...... 278 19.8.4 Liming ...... 278 19.9 Conclusion and Future Prospects ...... 278 References ...... 278 20 Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms and Their Role in Enhancing Soil Fertility and Health ...... 281 Ipsita Das and Madhusmita Pradhan 20.1 Introduction ...... 281 20.2 Potassium-Solubilizing Microorganisms (KSMs) ...... 284 20.3 Mechanism of K-Solubilization ...... 285 20.4 Effect of KSMs on Soil Fertility and Crop Productivity . . . 287 20.5 Conclusions ...... 288 References ...... 288 21 Potassium-Solubilizing Bacteria and Their Application in Agriculture ...... 293 Maqshoof Ahmad, Sajid Mahmood Nadeem, Muhammad Naveed, and Zahir Ahmad Zahir 21.1 Introduction ...... 294 21.2 Insoluble Potassium Sources ...... 295 21.3 Role of KSMs in K Solubilization ...... 295 21.3.1 Mechanisms of Action ...... 296 21.4 Potassium-Solubilizing Bacteria and Soil Type ...... 299 21.5 Potassium-Solubilizing Bacteria as Biofertilizer ...... 302 21.6 Impact on Plant Growth, Yield, and Nutrient Uptake . . . 304 21.7 Conclusion and Future Perspectives ...... 308 References ...... 309 22 Rhizosphere Microbes: Potassium Solubilization and Crop Productivity – Present and Future Aspects ...... 315 Priyanku Teotia, Vivek Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Neeraj Shrivastava, and Ajit Varma 22.1 Introduction ...... 316 22.2 Soil and Potassium ...... 317 22.3 Potassium and Plant Productivity ...... 319 22.4 Microbial Mechanism for Potassium Solubilization . . . . 320 22.5 Present Status of Potassium Solubilization and Crop Production ...... 321 22.6 Future Aspects ...... 322 22.7 Concluding Remarks ...... 323 References ...... 324 xvi Contents

23 Global Perspective of Potash for Fertilizer Production ..... 327 Satya Prakash and Jay Prakash Verma 23.1 Introduction ...... 327 23.2 Sources of Potash Fertilizer ...... 328 23.3 Occurrence of Potash Deposition ...... 329 23.3.1 Resource of Potash in India ...... 329 23.3.2 Resource of Potash in the World ...... 329 23.4 Trend of Production and Consumption of Potash in the World ...... 330 23.5 Conclusion and Future Prospective ...... 330 References ...... 331 About the Editors

Vijay Singh Meena is currently working as a soil scientist in the Indian Council of Agricultural Research–Vivekananda Institute of Hill Agriculture, Almora, Uttarakhand. He obtained his B.Sc. (Ag) in 2009 and M.Sc. (Ag) in 2011 with specialization in soil science and agricultural chemistry from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Subsequently, he submitted his Ph.D. in 2016. He has accomplished leading work on potassium-solubilizing microbes, soil biological fertility, rhizospheric chemistry, and conservation agriculture. Consequently, he has also published more than 30 original research articles in national and international peer-reviewed journals. In addition, he has published 11 book chapters. He is serving as managing editor in the journal Agriculture for Sustainable Development published by the Farmers’ Social Welfare Society and reviewers in various peer-reviewed national and international journals of publishers.

Jay Prakash Verma is an assistant professor in the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, w.e.f. February 26, 2011, to continue. He completed his B.Sc. (Hons) in botany in 2003 and M.Sc. in biotechnology in the year 2006. Also he completed his Ph.D. (botany) in 2010 entitled “Studies on new bioformulation of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria to develop a novel biofertilizer for chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).” He has accomplished leading work on soil microbiology, biofertilizers, PGPR, PGPF, plant–microbe–soil interaction, soil fertility and health management, and sustainable agriculture. Also he has expertise in the research and development of pesticide-degrading microbes and cellulose-degrading microbes for bioethanol production from cellulosic material. He has a total of 9 years of experience in research and 4 years in teaching B.Sc., M.Sc. Tech, M.Phil., and Ph.D. courses. He has published 39 articles having more than 70 impact factors, 28 abstracts in national and international seminars and conferences, and four book chapters. He has also visited Spain, Paris, and Shanghai, China. He is serving as technical editor in Biotechnology, Journal of Applied Sciences, International Journal of Soil Science, Asian Journal of Biological Sciences, and Bacteri- ology Journal and is a member of the editorial board in Agriculture for Sustainable Development published by the Farmers’ Social Welfare Society and reviewers in various peer-reviewed national and international journals of

xvii xviii About the Editors publishers, e.g., Nature Publishing Group, Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, and Taylor and Francis. He is also a project evaluator for the Czech Academy of Sciences, Science Support Division in the Czech Republic, and European Commission.

Bihari Ram Maurya is a professor and the head of the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. He obtained his B.Sc. (Hons) in 1976 and M.Sc. in 1978 from Banaras Hindu University in Uttar Pradesh, India. Subsequently, he was awarded a Ph.D. in 1984. His current areas of research are soil microbiology and biofertilizers. His Ph.D. thesis focuses on topics related to soil microbiology particularly on agriculturally important microorganisms which are used as biofertilizers. He supervised two Ph.D. and 18 M.Sc. (Ag.) students working on various aspects of soil microbiology. For more than 35 years, he has been doing teaching and research work in this speciﬁc area. He is a nodal ofﬁcer of a biofertilizer production unit under an experiential learning program. He has accomplished leading work on soil microbiology, soil fertility, and soil chemistry. Consequently, he has also published more than 50 original research articles in national and international peer-reviewed journals. In addition, he has published 16 book chapters.

Ram Swaroop Meena is an assistant professor in the Department of Agro- nomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. He obtained his B.Sc. (Hons) and M. Sc. in agronomy from SKRAU, Bikaner, India. Subsequently, he was awarded a Ph.D. in 2011. He has accomplished leading work on agronomic practices for enhancing soil fertility and health. Consequently, he has also published more than 50 original research articles in national and international peer-reviewed journals. In addition, he has published 9 book chapters. He is serving as an editor in Agriculture for Sustainable Development published by the Farmers’ Social Welfare Society and reviewers in various peer-reviewed national and international journals of publishers.