Interaction of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) with beneficial microbes: a review.

Curcuma longa L., commonly known as turmeric, is a rhizomatous herb of the family Zingiberaceae. It is mostly used as a spice, a coloring agent and broadly used in traditional medicine such as Ayurveda, Unani, etc., Turmeric rhizomes interact with a large numbers of rhizosphere-associated microbial species, and some enter the plant tissue and act as endophytes. Both rhizospheric and endophytic species are directly or indirectly involved in growth promotion and disease management in plants and also play an important role in the modulation of morphological growth, secondary metabolite production, curcumin content, antioxidant properties, etc. The present review focuses on the rhizobacterial and endophytic bacterial and fungal populations associated with the turmeric.