Biotechnology of Biofertilizers

About this book

This book is written with the objective of covering the basic issues in Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF), such as physiology, biochemistry and molecular genetics of nitrogen fixation, role of signal molecules and host gene expression in nodulation and nitrogen fixation for a thorough understanding of these processes in symbiotic nitrogen fixing systems and the possibilities of extending these agronomically potential and significant processes to non-legumes. The potential benefits from the N2 fixing symbiotic systems such as Sesbania rostrate Azolla, and free-living cyanobacteria to rice crop and associative symbiotic N2 fixer Azospirillum to rainfed crops have been discussed in detail. Immobilization of cyanobacteria in a solid matrix such as polyurethane foam for maximising ammonia production in rice fields and endophytic nitrogen fixation in wheat have also been included which are considered as potential technologies in the future. The solubilization and mobilization of nutrients by phosphobacteria and VA mycorrhiza and their role as bioinoculants, Acetobacter diazotrophicus as a novel biofertilizer for sugarcane and the cycad-cyanobacterial symbiosis have been clearly elucidated. These potential biological fertilizers would play key roles in productivity and sustainability of soil and also protect the environment as ecofriendly and cost effective inputs for the farmers.

Contents

Foreword. Preface. 1. An appraisal of biofertilizers in India; N.S. Subba Rao. 2. Biofertilizers for sustainable crop production; S. Kannaiyan. 3. Biofertilizers for sustaining cereal crops production; S.P. Wani, K.K. Lee. 4. Azospirillum biofertilizer for rainfed crops; K.V.B.R. Tilak, G. Singh. 5. Biochemistry of nitrogen fixation and assimilation; S. Sadasivam, S. Krishnaveni. 6. Host gene expression in nodulation and nitrogen fixation; S. Sadasivam, S. Krishnaveni. 7. Physiology, biochemistry and molecular genetics of legume symbiosis; F.J. Bergersen. 8. Nitrogen fixation in Parasponia; S. Sujatha Lilly, S. Kannaiyan. 9. Production of Rhizobium biofertilizer; N. Boonkerd, P. Singleton. 10. Biofertilizers for grain legumes; G.P. Brahmaprakash, S.V. Hedge. 11. Role of plant flavonoids as signal molecules to Rhizobium; S. Sundaravarathan, S. Kannaiyan. 12. Nitrogen fixation by tree legumes; D.L.N. Rao. 13. Stem nodulating bacteria in legumes; D.E. Fleischman. 14. Nitrogen fixing potential of stem nodulating Sesbania rostrata for rice production; S. Kannaiyan. 15. Influence of Azolla and Sesbania rostrata application on changes in microbial population and enzymes in rice soil; S. Sundaravarathan, S. Kannaiyan. 16. Green Manure potential of Sesbania rostrata for rice; M. Becker, M. Ah, J.K. Ladha, J.C.G. Ottow. 17. Endophytic nitrogen fixation in wheat; B. Benvit Singh, S. Kannaiyan. 18. A profile on algal biofertilizer; S.K. Goyal. 19. Nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria and its potential applications; S. Boussiba. 20. Ecology of nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria (Blue green algae) in rice fields; N. Anand. 21. Azolla as a biofertilizer in Africa: A challenge for the future; F. Carrapico, G. Teixeira, M. Adelia Diniz. 22. Ammonia production by the immobilized cyanobacteria for rice crop; S. Kannaiyan. 23. Vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal biofertilizer for tropical forest plants; D.J. Bagyaraj, V.S. Mehrotra, C.K. Suresh. 24. Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza as bioinoculant; G. Singh, K.V.B.R. Tilak. 25. Microbial mobilization of phosphorus for higher crop production in arid soils; A.V. Rao, J.C. Tarafdar. 26. Acetobacter diazotrophicus: A new and potential endophytic nitrogen fixing bacterium associated with sugarcane; M. Thangaraju, P. Jayakumar. 27. The cycad-cyanobacterial Symbiosis; S. Sujatha Lilly, S. Kannaiyan. 28. Ammonia production in rice paddies using immobilized cyanobacteria; D.O. Hall, S. Kannaiyan, M. van der Leij.

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