Harikesh Bahadur Singh

Institute of Agricultural Sciences · Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology

Several fungi act as parasites for crops causing huge annual crop losses at both pre- and post-harvest stages. For years, chemical fungicides were the solution; however, their wide use has caused environmental contamination and human health problems. For this reason, the use of biofungicides has been in practice as a green solution against fungal p...

Antioxidants have numerous biological roles in plants due to their contribution to signaling pathway. These compounds can be defined as secondary metabolites and are produced besides the primary biosynthetic pathway and metabolic routes of chief biological compounds associated with growth and development. In plants, interactions of the antioxidants...

Elsevier book series on Biostimulant Volume I- Sustainable agriculture: Microorganisms as Biostimulants

Management of agricultural production systems on a sustainable basis is one of the basic challenges confronting the eventual fate of mankind as the total population is rising extraordinarily. Protection against pests and diseases in crops has an apparent role to play to meet the rising demand for food quality and quantity. The yield losses incurred...

Tomato is an important nutritional vegetable crop and its nutrient contents are affected by both biotic and abiotic stresses. The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of seed biopriming with Trichoderma pseudokoningii BHUR2 and vermiwash treatment on nutrient content of tomato and defense response against Sclerotium rolfsii unde...

To provide food security with quality crops for exponentially growing population brought intense pressure on the limited land and natural resources among developing countries. Abiotic stresses such as continuously rising temperature as consequences of global warming is adding pressure to existing problems by adversely affecting crop productivity th...

This book provides state of the art description of various approaches, techniques and some basic fundamentals of bioremediation to manage a variety of organic and inorganic wastes and pollutants present in our environment. A comprehensive overview of recent advances and new development in the field of bioremediation research are provided within rel...

Microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) have great potential in plant ecophysiology, yet the role of belowground VOCs in plant stress management remains largely obscure. Analysis of biocontrol producing VOCs into the soil allow detailed insight into their interaction with soil borne pathogens for plant disease management. A root interaction tr...

In natural ecosystems, plants harbour diverse microbial communities in different compartments (above- and below-ground) of their system. The microbes colonizing the plant parts form complex interactions leading to the formation of microbiomes in inner tissues (endosphere) and outer surfaces (ectosphere) of the host plant. As microbiome represents a...

Proteomic approaches are being used to elucidate a better discretion of interactions occurring between host, pathogen, and/or beneficial microorganisms at the molecular level. Application of proteomic techniques, unravel pathogenicity, stress-related, and antioxidant proteins expressed amid plant-microbe interactions and good information have been...

Herein we report a study examining the effects of colletotrichumine A, an indole-pyrazine alkaloid isolated from the anthracnose pathogen Colletotrichum capsici, on chilli plants. A colletotrichumine A-pathogen combination was more toxic to the host than individual inoculations of colletotrichumine A or the pathogen. The colleto-trichumine A-pathog...

Its a first part of special issue in Current Genomics Journal on thematic area "Genomics of Extremophiles for Sustainable Agriculture and Biotechnological Applications" in which two review articles and one research article published.

Induction of defense response in host plants by the Trichoderma spp. has been attributed as one of the major mechanisms leading to inhibition of the pathogenic ingression. The present study sheds light on the mechanisms employed by the Trichoderma isolates, obtained from phyllosphere (BHUF4) and rhizosphere (T16A), to modulate the defense network o...

Endophytic microbes intricately modulate host defense pathways upon challenge with any form of environmental stress. In the current study, endophytic Alcaligenes faecalis treated okra plants were found to exhibit significant resistance to cell-lysis and disintegration upon infection with Sclerotium rolfsii. Apart from the morphological amendments,...

Parasitic species demonstrate a wide range of population structures and life cycle plan, including various transmission modes, life cycle complication, survivability, and dispersal ability with and without the presence of their hosts. A prominent feature of hosts and parasites is based on their genetics which can be regulated by coevolution. Infect...

Salt tolerant bacteria can be helpful in improving a plant’s tolerance to salinity. Although plant–bacteria interactions in response to salt stress have been characterized, the precise molecular mechanisms by which bacterial inoculation alleviates salt stress in plants are still poorly explored. In the present study, we aimed to determine the role...

Seed biopriming is an emerging technique to enhance seed germination under stress conditions. An integrated approach of tomato seed biopriming with ascorbic acid, Trichoderma asperellum BHU P-1 and Ochrobactrum sp. BHU PB-1 was applied to observe the response against wilt pathogen of tomato Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL). Tomato seeds...

The rice (Oryza sativa L.) productivity is often adversely disturbed by several abiotic and biotic stresses such as drought, submergence, fungal, bacterial, and nematode oriented biotic diseases and pest like brown plant hopper (BPH) and stem borer (SB). The major biotic stresses such as bacterial leaf blight (BLB), sheath blight (ShB), blast, brow...

The rice (Oryza sativa L.) productivity is often adversely disturbed by several abiotic and biotic stresses such as drought, submergence, fungal, bacterial, and nematode oriented biotic diseases and pest like brown plant hopper (BPH) and stem borer (SB). The major biotic stresses such as bacterial leaf blight (BLB), sheath blight (ShB), blast, brow...

The whole organisms can be packaged as biopesticides, but secondary metabolites secreted by microorganisms can also have a wide range of biological activities that either protect the plant against pests and pathogens or act as plant growth promotors which can be beneficial for the agricultural crops. In this review, we have compiled information abo...

Trichoderma is a genetically diverse group of fungi present in different ecological niches with multiple capabilities. Most of the Trichoderma spp. are reported as plant growth promoters and efficient biocontrol agents against various biotic and biotic stresses. Besides that genus Trichoderma is also utilized for bioremediation of heavy metal conta...

Synthetic chemical pesticides have been used for many years to increase the yield of agricultural crops. However, in the future, this approach is likely to be limited due to negative impacts on human health and the environment. Therefore, studies of the secondary metabolites produced by agriculturally important microorganisms have an important role...

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are potentially mutualistic biotrophs of plants and improve water supply and nutrient uptake in host plants. In exchange of this, it takes a part of photosynthate from the host plant to fulfill its metabolic requirements. Despite having its own immune system, plant gets attacked by various pathogens and therefore...

Seed priming enables seed hydration, thereby activating its metabolism without substantial germination. It also assists in rapid germination as well as enhances resistance to both biotic and abiotic stresses. Soilborne pathogens such as Sclerotium rolfsii, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and Rhizoctonia possess major threat to crop production on a global...

The WRKY gene family has never been identified in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan). Therefore, objective of the present study was to identify the WRKY gene family in pigeonpea and characterize the Fusarium udum stress-responsive WRKY genes under normal, NaCl-stressed and Pseudomonas fluorescens OKC (a plant growth-promoting bacterial strain) treated condi...

The emerging status and scope of microbial products for better plant growth and prevention of diseases have attracted attention of researchers, industrialists to promote this field and farmers to utilize them as microbial stimulants. The hazardous impact of chemical fungicides in our ecosystem can also be mitigated through these strategies. Owing t...

An incessant increase in global population along with a continuous augmentation in abiotic stress conditions, such as temperature, pH, salinity, etc., and limitation of natural resources has posed a serious threat to developing nations in terms of food security and enhanced nutritional value of the yield. Substantial crop losses in both qualitative...

In the current era current era of significant innovations, science and technology are powerful tools improving human welfare through prosperity and sustainable development. The development of microbiology based industries in any given country is shaped by the characteristics of its technology—particularly its close relation to scientific knowledge,...

The intellectual property rights (IPRs) aim to reward the innovator, so as to improve socio-economic progress. Patenting of microorganisms may have many dimensions that relate to the use of IPR concept in the agricultural sector and its appropriateness in the aspect of rights on knowledge, ownership, use, transfer and utilization of the patent. Def...

Anthropogenic activities have resulted into degradation of land and water bodies. Excessive mining activities lead to the contamination of nearby areas with heavy metals viz. Pb, As, Cd, Zn etc. All these elements are highly toxic to the plants when they are exposed at a higher concentration. Apart from these heavy metals even the excessive use of...

Abstract To promote agronomic sustainability, extensive research is being carried out globally, investigating biofertilizer development. Recently, it has been realized that some microorganisms used as biofertilizers behave as opportunistic pathogens and belong to the biosafety level 2 (BSL-2) classification. This poses serious risk to the environm...

Recent changes in the pattern of agricultural practices from use of hazardous pesticides to natural (organic) cultivation has brought into focus the use of agriculturally important microorganisms for carrying out analogous functions. The reputation of plant growth promoting rhizomicroorganisms (PGPRs) is due to their antagonistic mechanisms against...

Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. is the most destructive soilborne fungal pathogen causing collar rot disease in tomato crop. For management of collar rot disease several chemical fungicides are using that cause hazardous impacts on agroecosystem as well as human health. In the present study, Trichoderma spp. are used for management of collar rot disease i...

Fusarium wilt is one of the major diseases of tomato causing extensive loss of production. Exploration of agriculturally important microbes (AIMs) for management of the tomato wilt is an ecofriendly and cost effective approach. In the present study, a total 30 Trichoderma and 30 bacterial isolates were screened in the laboratory for their biocontro...

India is one of the leading countries in agricultural production and generate large volume of crop residue. Increasing demand for food grains due to growing population leads to generation of crop residues. Due to lack of proper disposal mechanism of crop residue, farmers burn the residue which release greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere, an...

Trichodrema is considered to be the most beneficial fungal genus for protecting crops in organic systems. The present study focuses on isolation, screening and identification of salinity tolerant Trichoderma isolates from eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. Among all the Trichoderma isolates, BHUT6 and BHUT8 were highly salt tolerant under in vitro condi...

Fungi have been recommended as agents for the biological control of insects for over a century, but their use remains particularly limited. As with numerous microorganisms, an entomopathogenic fungus from genera Metarhizium and Verticillium produces several metabolites. While these compounds are a conspicuous feature of the biology of the producing...

Rhizobia are group of organism, known globally for their nitrogen-fixing ability. In addition to nitrogen fixation, they significantly contribute to plant growth promotion and disease control. Rhizobial aptness for plant growth promotion and antagonism against a wide range of pathogens is due to its ability to produce a wide range of secondary meta...

Chickpea and Pea are the major pulse crop grown globally and occupy the major share of legumes. The crops are used as pulse, vegetable, fodder and have industrial importance. Both the crops are attacked by a number of pests and diseases which cause significant yield losses. The foliar region and below ground regions are affected. Owing to their lar...

Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary having significant role in modern science. Myconanotechnology is an emerging field, where fungi are being used for the synthesis of nanoparticles with desirable size and shape. Fungi have an added advantage over bacteria as well as actinomycetes, as fungi are excellent secretors of proteins leads to a higher y...

An experiment was conducted to examine the mode of inheritance against bacterial leaf blight (BLB) disease resistance in rice cultivars, TN-1 (susceptible check), HUBR-10-9 (susceptible parent), PB-1460 (resistant parent) with six populations of cross HUBR-10-9 × PB-1460 against the bacterial strain BXO1 and BX043 (wild type) of pathogen Xanthomona...

Priming techniques are gaining importance in agriculture with the increase in environmental stresses. Resource-poor farmers are in urgent need of such techniques as they are simple, economical, and value-added intervention associated with low-risk bearing factors. Seed enhancement methods are key to improve seed performance and achieve a good stand...

Lignifications in secondary cell walls play a significant role in defense mechanisms of plants against the invading pathogens. In the present study, we investigated Trichoderma strain specific lignifications in chickpea plants pre-treated with 10 potential Trichoderma strains and subsequently challenged with the wilt pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f....

Most crop plants grow in environments that are suboptimal, which prevents the plants from attaining their full genetic potential for growth and reproduction. Stress due to abiotic and biotic agents has a significant effect on world food production. Annually, an estimated 15% of global yields are lost, but this figure belies far greater losses for s...

Rhizoctonia bataticola (Taub.) Butler {Pycnidial stage: Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid} is a soil inhabiting fungus which is a serious threat to more than 500 plant species. Although considerable research related to ecology of Rhizoctonia has been done, it still appears to be a potential pathogen causing severe losses in various crops. Furthe...

Plant growth and development are greatly affected by various biotic and abiotic stresses. Various strategies are utilized to minimize stresses in plants. Seed priming with beneficial microorganisms is one of the most beneficial methods to improve plant growth and development and induce systemic tolerance in plants towards biotic as well as abiotic...

Present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of seedling bio-priming with Trichoderma harzianum (ATCC No. PTA-3701), varied N fertilizer doses (100%, 75%, 50%, and 25% RDN), and different soil type on rice plant under greenhouse condition. Results showed that the plant growth, chlorophyll content, nutrient use efficiency, and grain N cont...

Concurrent occurrences of different stresses, i.e. biotic and abiotic, are very common in the environment of plants which consequently reduce yield. As cost-effective options are very limited, bio-priming is a suitable tool to address the numerous challenges associated with agriculture. Plant growth benefits are easily attainable through this techn...

The concept of nanotechnology was first given by American theoretical physicist Richard Feynman, 1959 in his classic talk’There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom’(Feynman, 1960). The term’nanotechnology’was first coined by Norio Taniguchi (Taniguchi, 1974). It is the science of manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular and supermolecular level. T...

This book includes 25 contributions from vastly experienced, global experts in PGPR research in a comprehensive and influential manner, with the most recent facts and extended case studies. Also, the chapters address the current global issues in biopesticide research.

This book is organized into 18 chapters covering the following subjects: history (Chapter 1); use of nanomaterials in agriculture (Chapter 2); green nanotechnology (Chapter 3); nanonutrients (Chapter 4); enhanced productivity (Chapter 5); synthesis and applications of nanoparticles in agriculture (Chapter 6); toxicity, fate and transport of nanomat...

This chapter explores the emergence of nanotechnology in terms of the history of agriculture. It regards nanotechnology as an important revolutionary technology that is likely to have a considerable impact on the whole of the agricultural sector, including plant breeding, waste remediation, nanobioprocessing, plant disease management, crop producti...

Drought is often considered as one of the major environmental stress the productivity of crop plants around the world. Role of various microorganisms in mitigating drought stress in several crops have been documented by various researchers in the past. The experiment was conducted for isolation of agriculturally important microorganisms (AIMs) havi...

This book is organized into 18 chapters covering the following subjects: history (Chapter 1); use of nanomaterials in agriculture (Chapter 2); green nanotechnology (Chapter 3); nanonutrients (Chapter 4); enhanced productivity (Chapter 5); synthesis and applications of nanoparticles in agriculture (Chapter 6); toxicity, fate and transport of nanomat...

Fungi of the Trichoderma spp. genus, notably Trichoderma harzianum, are commonly used for biological management of deleterious seed and soil borne pathogens. The global biopesticides market is booming with a major share of various commercial formulations of T. harzianum. However, there are some major drawbacks associated with these commercial formu...