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Beneficial Microorganisms: Current Challenge to Increase Crop Performance

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Bioformulations: for Sustainable Agriculture

Abstract

The major goal of agricultural microbiology is a comprehensive analysis of beneficial microorganisms. Fundamental knowledge of the ecology and evolution of interactions could enable the development of microbe-based sustainable agriculture. Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) have gained worldwide importance and acceptance for their agricultural benefits. This is due to the emerging demand to reduce dependence on synthetic chemical products within a holistic vision of developing and focalizing environmental protection. Beneficial microorganisms also help to solubilize mineral phosphates and other nutrients, enhance resistance to stress, stabilize soil aggregates, improve soil structure and organic matter content, and inhibit phytopathogens. Several efforts have been made in research to clarify definitions as well as develop commercial inoculants using these organisms, with a special emphasis on formulations that interact synergistically and are currently being devised. In addition, numerous recent studies indicate increased crop performance with the use of these commercial inoculants. In this chapter, the progress to date in the use of beneficial microbes for agricultural applications is summarized and discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Research and Technological Development, Agronomical Institute of Pernambuco (IPA/SEAGRI), 1371, Gen. San Martin Avenue, Recife, 50761-000, PE, Brazil

    Márcia do Vale Barreto Figueiredo

  2. Federal University of Piaui (UFPI), Teresina, PI, Brazil

    Aurenivia Bonifacio & Artenisa Cerqueira Rodrigues

  3. Faculty of Agrarian Sciences, University of West Paulista (UNOESTE), Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil

    Fabio Fernando de Araujo

  4. National Research and Technological Development, Department of Agronomy, Federal Agricultural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), Recife, PE, Brazil

    Newton Pereira Stamford

Authors
  1. Márcia do Vale Barreto Figueiredo
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  2. Aurenivia Bonifacio
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  3. Artenisa Cerqueira Rodrigues
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  4. Fabio Fernando de Araujo
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  5. Newton Pereira Stamford
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Márcia do Vale Barreto Figueiredo .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Envir Microbiol, School for Env. Sci., Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Univ, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Naveen Kumar Arora

  2. Dept of Biological Sciences, Forman Christian College (Chartered Univ, Lahore, Pakistan

    Samina Mehnaz

  3. Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile d, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Torino, Torino, Italy

    Raffaella Balestrini

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Figueiredo, M.d.V.B., Bonifacio, A., Rodrigues, A.C., de Araujo, F.F., Stamford, N.P. (2016). Beneficial Microorganisms: Current Challenge to Increase Crop Performance. In: Arora, N., Mehnaz, S., Balestrini, R. (eds) Bioformulations: for Sustainable Agriculture. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2779-3_3

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