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...

This edited volume covers all aspects of microbes in consortia; their roles in the ecological balance of soil by mineralize soil nutrients, plant growth promotion, protecting plants from disease by acting as biocontrol agents etc. Step-by-step descriptions are provided to the development and designing strategies of microbial consortia of rhizobacteria, phytohormone producing with biocontrol; ACC-deaminase producing with siderophore producing; vice-versa, and many combinations of multifaceted bacteria. The development of microbial consortia into successful bioinoculant and biofertilizers is...