Banana (Musa sp.), known for its antiquity in India, right from its mention in the Valmiki Ramayana (2020 BC), Kautilya s Arthasastra, (300-400 BC) and its presence in paintings and sculptures of Ajanta and Ellora (600 BC), is an important fruit grown commercially. Ever-increasing population of the world warrants more production of fruits to bridge the gap between the per capita consumption and recommendation. This can be achieved by increasing the area under fruit crops and by increasing the productivity per unit area. Phosphorus (P) is an essential element classified as a macronutrient...

India is the largest consumer and second producer of sugar in the world, with over 450 sugar factories located throughout the country. The sugar industry is amongst the largest agro-processing industries in India with average sugar production of about 176.75 lakhs tonnes with an annual turnover of Rs. 150 billion. The pressmud and molasses are industrial byproducts of sugarcane industry in India, and the production is respectively to the tune of 7.0 and 7.5 Mt annually. The value of pressmud as an organic manure has been well recognized for utilizing in agriculture, as it contains valuable...

Micronutrients play an active role in the plant metabolic processes starting from cell wall development to respiration, photosynthesis, chlorophyll formation, enzyme activity, nitrogen fixation and reduction etc. Micro nutrient requirements of the crops are relatively small and ranges between their deficiencies and toxicities in plants and soils are rather narrow. Transformation and behavior of micro nutrients in submerged soils are entirely different compared to normal soils. The electrochemical and biochemical changes caused by submergence directly and indirectly influence the solubility...

In den letzten zehn Jahren hat das Konzept der Einführung pflanzenwachstumsfördernder Bakterien (PGPB) zur Förderung des Pflanzenwachstums unter Umweltstressbedingungen an Bedeutung gewonnen. Die Fähigkeit der beimpften Bakterien, zu überleben, mit der einheimischen Mikroflora zu konkurrieren und sich in der Rhizosphäre anzusiedeln, bleibt jedoch die Herausforderung für eine erfolgreiche Anwendung, insbesondere in salzhaltigen Böden, da ein hoher Salzgehalt das Überleben, das Wachstum und die Aktivität der Mikroorganismen beeinflussen könnte. Die salztoleranten Bakterien könnten...

Au cours de la dernière décennie, le concept d'introduction de bactéries favorisant la croissance des plantes (PGPB) pour promouvoir la croissance des plantes dans des conditions de stress environnemental a gagné en importance. Cependant, la capacité des bactéries inoculées à survivre, à concurrencer la microflore indigène et à coloniser la rhizosphère reste un défi pour une application réussie, en particulier dans les sols salins, car une forte salinité peut influencer la survie, la croissance et l'activité des micro-organismes. Les bactéries tolérantes au sel pourraient...

In the last decade, the concept of introducing plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) for promotion of plant growth under environmental stress conditions has gained importance. However, the ability of inoculated bacteria to survive, outcompete with the native microflora, and colonize in the rhizosphere remains to be the challenge for successful application especially in saline soil since high salinity could influence the survival, growth and activity of microorganisms. The salt-tolerant bacteria could thus be advantageous over others to thrive in a new saline environment in the sufficient...