Biotic stress management in agricultural crops using microbial consortium

Abstract

Microbial populations have functional roles within communities where interactions among distinct microorganisms will permit their survival. Therefore, it is suggested to device mixed inoculants that may interact synergistically, with different or complementary mode of action, so that increased disease resistance is provided and under certain stresses we can assume that atleast one is functional. The mechanisms responsible for this biocontrol activity include competition for nutrients, niche exclusion, induced systemic resistance (ISR), and the production of anti-microbial metabolites. Therefore, seeing the success stories of mixed inoculants (combination of microorganisms that interact synergistically) over single bioinoculant, consortiums are being currently devised for crop management. The extreme complexity of interactions occurring is highlighted, and some potential areas and shortcomings required to overcome for future researches in this area are discussed briefly. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013. All rights are reserved.