Biotechnological perspectives of microbes in agro-ecosystems.

In subsistence agricultural systems, crop yields are directly dependent on the inherent soil fertility and on microbial processes that govern the mineralization and mobilization of nutrients required for plant growth. An impact of different crop species that are used in various combinations is likely to be an important factor in determining the structure of plant beneficial microbial communities that function in nutrient cycling, the production of plant growth hormones, and suppression of root diseases. In addition, studies are needed to elucidate the signal transduction pathways that result from treatment of plants with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria under stress conditions. In the present review an emphasis has been given on plant-microbe interactions and their mitigation under abiotic and biotic stresses. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011