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Methylotrophic bacteria in sustainable agriculture

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Abstract

Excessive use of chemical fertilizers to increase production from available land has resulted in deterioration of soil quality. To prevent further soil deterioration, the use of methylotrophic bacteria that have the ability to colonize different habitats, including soil, sediment, water, and both epiphytes and endophytes as host plants, has been suggested for sustainable agriculture. Methylotrophic bacteria are known to play a significant role in the biogeochemical cycle in soil ecosystems, ultimately fortifying plants and sustaining agriculture. Methylotrophs also improve air quality by using volatile organic compounds such as dichloromethane, formaldehyde, methanol, and formic acid. Additionally, methylotrophs are involved in phosphorous, nitrogen, and carbon cycling and can help reduce global warming. In this review, different aspects of the interaction between methylotrophs and host plants are discussed, including the role of methylotrophs in phosphorus acquisition, nitrogen fixation, phytohormone production, iron chelation, and plant growth promotion, and co-inoculation of these bacteria as biofertilizers for viable agriculture practices.

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Acknowledgments

Manish Kumar and Rajesh Singh Tomar wish to express their sincere gratitude to Dr. Ashok Kumar Chauhan, President, RBEF parent organization of Amity University Madhya Pradesh (AUMP), Dr. Aseem Chauhan, Additional President, RBEF, and Chairman of Amity University Gwalior Campus, Lt. Gen. V.K. Sharma, AVSM (Retd.), Vice Chancellor of AUMP Gwalior Campus, for providing the necessary facilities, as well as valuable support and encouragement throughout the work. Harshad Lade would like to acknowledge the KU Research Professor Program of Konkuk University, Korea for financial support.

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  1. Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Gwalior, MP, 474-005, India

    Manish Kumar & Rajesh Singh Tomar

  2. Department of Environmental Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul, 143-701, Republic of Korea

    Harshad Lade & Diby Paul

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  1. Manish Kumar
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Kumar, M., Tomar, R.S., Lade, H. et al. Methylotrophic bacteria in sustainable agriculture. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 32, 120 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-016-2074-8

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