Preface
Chapter 1: Introduction to Agriculturally Important Fungi for Crop Protection. Dr. Ajar Nath Yadav Department of Biotechnology, Eternal University Baru Sahib, Srmour-173101, Himachal Pradesh, India

Chapter 2: Role of Fungi in Adaptation of Agriculture Crops to Abiotic Stresses. Dr. B. Venkateswarlu, Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad 500059, India

Chapter 3: Arbuscualr Mycorrhizae Associations and Role in Mitigation of Drought Stress in Plants. Dr. Juan Manuel Ruiz-Lozano, Departamento de Microbiología del Suelo y Sistemas Simbióticos Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Granada, Spain

Chapter 4: Fungal Mediated Alleviation of Cold Stress for Growth and Yield of Cereal Crops. Dr. Shashwati Ghosh Sachan, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, India

Chapter 5: Soil Salinity and their Alleviation Using Plant Growth Promoting Fungi. Dr. Chhatarpal Singh, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A Central University), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226025, India

Chapter 6: Phytohormones Producing Fungal Communities: Metabolic Engineering for Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Crops. Dr. Shabir H. Wani, Division of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture WADURA, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir 191121, India

Chapter 7: Fungal Secondary Metabolites and Bioactive Compounds for Plant Defence. Barbara Schulz, Institute of Microbiology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Spielmannstrasse 7, D-38106 Braunschweig, Germany

Chapter 8: Fungal Endophytes - A Source for Biological Control Agents. Dr. Zachow C, Graz University of Technology, Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, Petersgasse 12, A-8010 Graz, Austria,

Chapter 9: Aspergillus Mycotoxins: Potential as Biocontrol Agents. Dr. R. Bandyopadhyay International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria

Chapter 10: Trichoderma: Biocontrol Agents for Promoting Plant Growth and Soil Health. Dr. M. Wang, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300457, P. R. China

Chapter 11: Piriformospora indica: Endophytic Fungus for Salt-Stress Tolerance, and Disease Resistance. Dr. Frank Waller. Institute of Phytopathology and Applied Zoology, University of Giessen, D-35392 Giessen, Germany

Chapter 12: Bioresources for Control of Plant Parasitic Nematodes. Dr. S. Kiewnick, University of Bonn, Institute for Plant Diseases, Phytopathology and Nematology in Soil Ecosystems, Nussallee 9, D-53115 Bonn, Germany.

Index

Ajar Nath Yadav is an Assistant Professor (Sr. Scale) in Department of Biotechnology, Dr. Khem Singh Gill Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India. He has 4 years of teaching and 10 year of research experiences in the field of Microbial Biotechnology, Microbial Diversity, and Plant-Microbe-Interactions. Dr. Yadav obtained doctorate degree in Microbial Biotechnology, jointly from IARI, New Delhi and BIT, Mesra, Ranchi, India; M.Sc. (Biotechnology) from Bundelkhand University and B.Sc. (CBZ) from University of Allahabad, India. Dr. Yadav has 136 publications, which include 69 research/review papers, 11 books, 54 book chapters, and 02 patents with h-index of 27, i10-index of 64, and 2287 citations (Google Scholar). Dr. Yadav has published 111 research communications in different international and national conferences. Dr. Yadav has got 12 Best Paper Presentation Awards, and 01 Young Scientist Award (NASI-Swarna Jyanti Purskar). Dr. Yadav received "Outstanding Teacher Award" in 6^th Annual Convocation 2018 by Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh. He has been serving as an editor/editorial board member and reviewer for more than 35 national and international peer-reviewed journals. He has lifetime membership of Association of Microbiologist in India, and Indian Science Congress Council, India.

Shashank Mishra is presently working as Scientist 'C', Biotech Park, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. He obtained his doctorate degree in Science "Industrial Biotechnology" in 2015, from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, India; M.Phil. (Biotechnology) in 2008 from Alagappa University, Tamil Nadu; M.Sc. (Botany), in 2005 from Dr. R.M.L. University, Ayodhya; M.Sc. (Biotechnology), in 2004 from Barkatullah University, Bhopal and B.Sc. (Botany and Chemistry) in 2001 from Dr. R.M.L. University, Ayodhya, India. He has made pioneering contributions in the area of Microbial Biotechnology; Natural product synthesis and Environmental Microbiology for food, pharmaceutical and Human Health. In his credit 21 Publications [06 research papers, 02 review articles, 03 books and 10 book chapters] in different reputed international and national journals and publishers with 82 Citation, h-index-05 and i10-index 04 (Google Scholar). He has reported first time with high concentration of phenolic compounds by optimizing various parameters and published in peer-reviewed and referred international journals. He has published 16 abstracts in different conferences/symposiums/workshops. He has presented 16 papers presentation [12 poster ] 04 oral] in conferences/symposiums and got 01 best poster presentations Award, Dr. Mishra has contributed in organizing 07 conference/workshops. He has deposited 03 nucleotide sequences to NCBI GenBank databases: in public domain. He is reviewer in 06 international journals including BMC Microbiology, Indian Phytopathology, PLOS One, Scientific Reports and Archive of Phytopathology and Plant Protection and 3 Biotech. He has the lifetime membership of Association of microbiologist of India (AMI) and Vigyan Bharti (VIBHA).

Divjot Kour is currently working as Project Assistant in DEST funded project "Development of Microbial Consortium as Bio-inoculants for Drought and Low Temperature Growing Crops for Organic Farming in Himachal Pradesh". Dr. Kour obtained doctorate degree in Microbial Biotechnology from Department of Biotechnology, Dr. Khem Singh Gill Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India. She obtained M.Phil. in Microbiology in 2017 from Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Solan, Himachal Pradesh; M.Sc. in Microbiology from University of Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir in 2015 and B.Sc. from University of Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir in 2014. She has research experience of 04 years. In her credit 39 publications (11 research/review and 28 book chapters) in different reputed international, national journals and publishers. She is editors of 02 books in Springer. She has published 18 abstracts in different conferences/symposiums/workshops. She has presented 09 papers in national and international conferences/symposiums and got 05best paper presentation awards. In her credit more than 700 microbes (bacteria and fungi) isolated from diverse sources. She has the membership of National Academy of Sciences and Agro Environmental Development Society, India.

Neelam Yadav is currently working on microbial diversity from diverse sources and their biotechnological applications agriculture and allied sectors. She obtained her post graduation degree from Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University, Uttar Pradesh, India. She has research interest in the area of beneficial microbiomes and their biotechnological application in agriculture, medicine environment and allied sectors. In her credit 35 research/review/book chapters publication in different reputed international, national journals and publishers. She is editors of 02 books in Elsevier, 03 in CRC press, Taylor & Francis and 09 in Springer, under the process of publication. She is Editor/associate editor/reviewer of different international and national journals including Plos One, Extremophiles, Annals of Microbiology, Journal of Basic Microbiology, Advance in Microbiology and Biotechnology. She has the lifetime membership of Association of microbiologist in India, Indian Science Congress Council, India and National Academy of Sciences, India.

Anil Kumar is Director, Education, Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University, Near Pahuj dam Gwalior Road, Jhansi (UP). He has 30 years of research, teaching and administrative experience in various capacities. He had worked as Professor & Head, (2006- till date), Associate Professor (2003-2006) and Assistant Professor (1993- 1999) Dept. of Molecular Biology & Genetic Engineering, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar. He has to his credit more than 200 publications including research papers, reviews, and chapters contributed to books, popular articles, Books/Bulletins/Manuals. The research interests focus on diverse but speci^2398, h-index 27 and i10 index 82. He has been an outstanding teacher and researcher who is credited with many awards and recognitions viz. Dr Radhakrishnan Best Teacher Award, INSA Best Teacher Award, Dr C. Subramanium Outstanding Teacher Award, Outstanding Faculty Recognition, Dr B.B. Singh Outstanding Researcher Award and also conferred three times "Governor's Award" for best research in the year 2015, 2017 & 2019 from different organizations including university, ICAR, INSA, DBT.