Microbiota and Biofertilizers

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxi

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2. Chemical Fertilizers, Formulation, and Their Influence on Soil Health

   • Shazia Iqbal, Umair Riaz, Ghulam Murtaza, Moazzam Jamil, Maqshoof Ahmed, Azhar Hussain et al.

   Pages 1-15

3. Organic Agriculture: Principles, Current Status, and Significance

   • Peer Saffeullah, Neelofer Nabi, Saima Liaqat, Naser Aziz Anjum, Tariq Omar Siddiqi, Shahid Umar

   Pages 17-37

4. Responses of Soil Properties to Organic Amendments

   • Shazia Ramzan, Ifra Ashraf, Tahir Ali, Tabasum Rasool, Pervez Ahmad, Mushtaq A. Wani et al.

   Pages 39-55

5. Vermicomposting: Sustainable Tool for Agriculture Environs

   • Rouf Ahmad Mir, Sarita Shrivastava, Pragiya Singh Pawaiya, O. P. Agarwal

   Pages 57-67

6. Application and Viability of Macrophytes as Green Manure

   • Domingo Martínez-Soto, Amauri Ponce-Hernández, Juan José Maldonado-Miranda, Candy Carranza-Álvarez

   Pages 69-82

7. Role of Microorganisms as Biofertilizers

   • Zeenat Mushtaq, Shahla Faizan, Alisha Hussain

   Pages 83-98

8. Nano-agriculture: A Novel Approach in Agriculture

   • Mudasir Fayaz, Mir Sajad Rabani, Sajad Ahmad Wani, Sameer Ahmad Thoker

   Pages 99-122

9. Biofertilizers: Sustainable Approach for Growing Population Needs

   • Saima Hamid, Bhat Mohd Skinder, Mohammad Yaseen Mir

   Pages 123-141

10. Role of Recombinant DNA Technology in Biofertilizer Production

    • Rohaya Ali

    Pages 143-163

11. Root-Associated Ectomycorrhizal Mycobionts as Forest Biofertilizers: Standardized Molecular Methods for Characterization of Ectomycorrhizal Wood Wide Web

    • Rezwana Assad, Zafar Ahmad Reshi, Irfan Rashid

    Pages 165-180

12. Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) as Biofertilizers and Biopesticides

    • Umair Riaz, Ghulam Murtaza, Wajiha Anum, Tayyaba Samreen, Muhammad Sarfraz, Muhammad Zulqernain Nazir

    Pages 181-196

13. Halotolerant Microorganism Reclamation Industry for Salt-Dominant Soils

    • Shakeel Ahmad Dar, Zulaykha Khurshid Dijoo, Rouf Ahmad Bhat, Mohammed Tauseef Ali

    Pages 197-210

14. Allelopathic Bacteria as an Alternate Weedicide: Progress and Future Standpoints

    • Muhammad Mahroz Hussain, Zia Ur Rahman Farooqi

    Pages 211-230

15. Azotobacter as Biofertilizer for Sustainable Soil and Plant Health Under Saline Environmental Conditions

    • Shakeel Ahmad Dar, Rouf Ahmad Bhat, Moonisa Aslam Dervash, Zubair Ahmad Dar, Gowhar Hamid Dar

    Pages 231-254

16. Role of Microbiota in Composting

    • Lone Rafiya Majeed, Sumaira Rashid, Heena Nisar Pahalvi, Bisma Nisar, B. A. Ganai

    Pages 255-290

17. Back Matter

    Pages 291-297

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An increasing population has put tremendous pressure on agricultural productivity to fulfill the demands of human consumption. Numerous agricultural activities and techniques have been developed to raise annual crop production globally. While agriculture has succeeded in enhancing the yearly crop productivity, this achievement is at the cost of environmental degradation by applying synthetic persistent substances, such as industrial fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, etc. Chemical fertilizers are nearly as destructive as they are productive, causing monocultures and consequences associated with elimination of diversity, nutrient pollution as evidenced by algae blooms, eutrophication, water quality issues, lower oxygen levels and dangers to fish stocks. Therefore, the scientific approach to maintain sustainable fertility in soil and plants is to switch over to biofertilisers.

Biofertilisers are compounds of organic matter that are applied to crops for growth and health. Their constituent micro-organisms interact in an ecofriendly manner with the soil, root and seeds of plants, promoting the growth of micro-flora that enhances soil fertility. They are known to play a number of vital roles in soil fertility, crop productivity and production in agriculture. Application of biofertilisers results in increased mineral and water uptake, root development, vegetative growth and nitrogen fixation. They liberate growth promoting substances and vitamins and help to maintain soil fertility. They act as antagonists and play a pivotal role in neutralising the soil borne plant pathogens, thereby assisting in the bio-control of diseases. Application of biofertilisers in lieu of synthetic fertilizers could be the promising technique to raise agricultural productivity without degrading the environmental quality.

The present book focuses on the latest research approaches and updates from the microbiota ecosystem and their applications in agriculture industry. It also highlightsthe great potential and possible future of action of microbiota in the development of sustainable agricultural systems.

• fertilizers
• soil health
• organic agriculture
• biofertilizer
• Mycorrhiza
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Symbiosis
• Rhizobia
• microbiome

• Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

  Khalid Rehman Hakeem

• Department of Environmental Science, Sri Pratap College, Cluster University, Higher Education Department, Srinagar, India

  Gowhar Hamid Dar

• Department of Environment & Water Management, Sri Pratap College, Cluster University, Srinagar, India

  Mohammad Aneesul Mehmood

• Division of Environmental Sciences, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir-Srinagar, Srinagar, India

  Rouf Ahmad Bhat

Dr. Khalid Rehman Hakeem is a Professor at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He has completed his Ph.D. (Botany) from Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India in 2011. Dr. Hakeem has worked as Post Doctorate Fellow in 2012 and Fellow Researcher (Associate Prof.) from 2013-2016 at Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia. His specialty is Plant Eco-Physiology, Molecular biology, Plant-Microbe-soil interactions, Medicinal plant research and Environmental Sciences and so far has edited and authored more than 25 books with Springer International, Academic Press, etc. He has also to his credit more than 110 research publications in peer reviewed international journals, including 40 book chapters in edited volumes with international publishers. Dr Hakeem is the recipient of many national and international awards and fellowships.


Dr Gowhar Hamid Dar is an Assistant Professor at Pratap College Campus, Cluster University Srinagar, India.  He has been working on the Isolation, Identification and Characterization of microbes for the last several years so to understand their behavioural aspects and to evaluate their industrial, economic aspects and their impact on our life. He has also published many research articles in reputed, referred international and national journals. Further he is involved in the teaching of post-graduate students of Environmental Science and in the teaching of Undergraduate course in Environment and Water Management at SP College campus of Cluster University Srinagar.



Dr. Mohammad Aneesul Mehmood is an Assistant Professor in the discipline of Environmental Sciences, Sri Pratap College campus, Cluster University Srinagar, 190001. He has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles in international journals. His current research focuses on the effect of spatio-temporal dynamics of heavy metal contamination on fishes in an urban Himalayan Lake with particular reference to the endemic fish Shizothorax niger.



Dr Rouf Ahmad Bhat completed his PhD in Environmental Science (specialization: environmental microbiology) from the University of Kashmir, Srinagar under the able guidance of Prof. Azra N, Kamili and Prof. Bashir A. Ganai. Currently he is working as an Assistant Professor (Environmental Science) at the Department of Environmental Science, Sri Pratap College, Cluster University Srinagar.

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