Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria: Sustainable Growth of Non-legumes

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.