About the Book
This book covers aspects of biological nitrogen fixation along with the unique signaling and interaction between the diazotrophic bacteria and plants, especially the non-legumes. Nitrogen is the most important growth-limiting nutrient in the ecosystems and biological nitrogen fixation involving microbial symbionts, mainly rhizobia and legumes holds enormous interest across the globe. However, free-living rhizobacteria of non-legumes especially cereals, also establish themselves within the root system, fixing nitrogen and contributing to plant productivity, soil fertility, and agricultural sustainability. These non-symbiotic nitrogen fixers additionally exhibit various plant growth-promoting traits elevating productivity, fortifying nutrient content, and managing water stress in plants. The recent perspectives highlighting the mechanisms and background of non-symbiotic nitrogen fixation provide answers to unravel the potential of nitrogenase and various spectra of habitats of rhizobia and other diazotrophic bacteria. Further, the application of genetic engineering and the development of nitrogen-fixing cereals can provide a possible solution to the problem of food shortage. The book includes various scientific inputs providing comprehensive knowledge about the emergence of agricultural sustainability through nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The book illustrates the systematic mechanisms involved in biological nitrogen fixation through various illustrations, schematic drawings, and flow charts aiding in better understanding. The chapters elaborate on the physiology and metabolism of plant-bacteria interaction in different crops under diverse environmental conditions. Thus, the volume will provide a holistic scenario helping in advancing the novel plant-microbe interactions, cell-signaling, and plant-molecular interactions. The book will assist the agronomists, microbiologists, ecologists, plant pathologists, molecular biologists, environmentalists, policymakers, conservationists, and NGOs to develop biofertilizers and bioinoculants using various genera of microbes and contribute to the targets of sustainable goals in an eco-friendly manner.
About the Author: Prof. D. K. Maheshwari
Prof. (Dr.) Dinesh Kumar Maheshwari, former Vice- Chancellor (Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar) a renowned Botanist and Microbiologist, is holding MHRD-UGC-BSR Eminent Faculty Fellowship after his superannuation. Prof. Maheshwari worked in Biology Research Centre (Szeged), Hungry in the year 1983-1984. He was Visiting Professor, Science University of Tokyo, Noda (Japan), University of Ulm (Germany), University of Gent (Belgium), University of Barcelona (Spain), University of Tokyo (Japan), Daegu University (Korea). He has received several recognitions and has been awarded "Prof. Y.S. Murty Medal" and most prestigious 'Birbal Sahni Award' of Indian Botanical Society in the year 1992 and 2018 respectively, for his outstanding contribution and bestowed with the "Platinum Jubilee Lecture award" of the Indian Science Congress Association (2012) and unanimously nominated President- Plant Sciences, Indian Science Congress- 2015-2016. Most recently, he was conferred with Lifetime Achievement Award on Feb. 11, 2020, at BBA University (A Central University), Lucknow, and was awarded "Vigyan Vibhuti Award" by "Govt. of Uttarakhand" at UCOST, Dehradun in 2020. Dr. Rajendra Dobhal
Dr. Rajendra Dobhal is currently working as Director General, Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology, Govt. of Uttarakhand. He had a distinct privilege to occupy the positions like Chairman and Managing Director, National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), Govt. of India; Director, Uttarakhand Science Education and Research Centre (USERC); Director, Uttarakhand Space Application Centre (USAC); Senior Scientific Advisor/Project Director, Uttarakhand State Biotechnology Board; Scientist/Tech. Advisor to DG and Science Advisor, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal, in the past. He is also Chairman of the Sustainable Development Forum, Uttaranchal. Dr. Dobhal is a Fellow of The National Academy of Sciences (FNASc), India. Dr Dobhal is a known Intellectual Property (IP) professional trained from Department of Science & Technology, GoI; Washington University, USA; International Law Development Institute (ILDI), Manilla, Philippines and National Law University, Bangalore. Major awards, such as Royal Australian chemical institute award (2007); International Commonwealth youth sliver Award (2008); Pride of Uttarakhand (2016) are in his credit.
Dr. Shrivardhan Dheeman
Dr. Shrivardhan Dheeman is working as an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology, School of Allied Health Sciences, MVN University, Palwal, Haryana, India. Dr. Dheeman has research interests in Plant-Microbe Interaction and Microbial Ecology. He is involved in teaching Microbiology and Biotechnology to different disciplines in undergraduate and post-graduate classes. He is an active member of several international reputed scientific bodies, including the Indian Science Congress Association, Asian PGPR Society for Sustainable Agriculture, and Indian Botanical Society. Dr. Dheeman was nominated for "Young Scientist" of Indian Science Congress in the year 2016 for his outstanding contribution to Microbial Diversity and Plant-Microbe Interactions. He has more than 30 publications in leading peer-reviewed & prestigious journals and books so far. His debut book entitled "Field Crops: Sustainable Management by PGPR" and following "Endophytes: Mineral Nutrient Management Volume 3" was published by Springer, Gewerbestrasse, Switzerland.
