Preface

Several researchers have studied the association of mycorrhizae with several plant species and their significance in plant health. This book focuses on the production and applications of mycorrhizae in sustainable agriculture and forestry. The identification of soil microbes including fungi is essential to use those organisms for plant and human welfare.

In the first chapter, "Soil Metagenomics: Prospects and Challenges", the authors present a metagenomics study of soil microorganisms to identify categories of soil microorganisms. In the second chapter, "Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) Fungi as a Tool for Sustainable Agricultural System", the authors discuss the application of arbuscular mycorrhizae in the soil to enhance uptake of nutrients, plant tolerance against drought, and soil quality. In the third chapter, "Advantages of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) Production for the Profitability of Agriculture and Biofertilizer Industry", the authors explain the mitigation role of AM on adverse environmental conditions such as drought, heavy metal accumulation, salinity in the soil, extreme temperatures, and biotic stresses in plants. In the fourth chapter, "Production of Vegetable Crops by Using Arbuscular Mycorrhizae", the authors describe the use of mycorrhizae in soilless vegetables cultivation under a greenhouse system. In the fifth chapter, "The Role of Mycorrhizae on Seedlings and Early Growth of Sugarcane", the authors describe several varieties of sugarcane growth enhancement and mitigation of climate change by the colonization of mycorrhizae. In the sixth chapter, "Assessment of Biocontrol Potential of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (*Glomus spp.*) against Damping-off Disease (*Rhizoctonia solani*) on Cucumber", the authors discuss the utilization of *Glomus* spp. to reduce *Rhizoctonia solani* pathogen infection and increase the growth of cucumber plants.

In the seventh chapter, "Native Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Agro-Industries in Arid Lands: Productions, Applications, Strategies and Challenges", the authors discuss conventional and modern methods of AM fungal bio-fertilizers production including formulation and administration. The AM fungi influence the growth of several tree species in forests and improve soil quality. In the eight chapter, "Mycorrhizae Applications in Sustainable Forestry", the authors examine the significance of suitable AM fungi application for sustainable forest maintenance. In the final chapter, "Influence of Endomycorrhizal Fungi on the Growth of Tropical Plant Species", the authors discuss how fungi trigger the growth of tree species such as *Coffea canephora*, *Tabernaemontana donnell-smithii*, and *Chromolaena odorata*.

**II**

**Chapter 9 113** Influence of Endomycorrhizal Fungi on the Growth of Tropical Plant Species

*by Juan Francisco Aguirre-Medina, Jorge Cadena-Iñigue* 

*and Juan Francisco Aguirre-Caden*

**Dr. Ramalingam Radhakrishnan**

Department of Botany, Jamal Mohamed College (Autonomous), Affiliated to Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, India

**1**

**Chapter 1**

*and Ishan Saini*

**Abstract**

**1. Introduction**

and Challenges

Soil Metagenomics: Prospects

*Vivek Kumar, Gurdeep Singh Malhi, Hari Kesh* 

**Keywords:** genomics, soil, microbes, metagenomics

number of microbes inside the soil aggregates [15].

*Prashant Kaushik, Opinder Singh Sandhu, Navjot Singh Brar,* 

The better strategies to examine RNA or DNA from soil allow us to understand the microbial diversity and features in the soil, which are challenging to identify by typical culture techniques. In this direction, the literature on soil metagenomics and its usefulness is ever-increasing and so as its implementation experiences. Omics techniques are going to assist the metagenomics in achieving agricultural sustainability. In doing so, essential understanding on the reference soil would serve to help upcoming soil survey initiatives, lessening bias and raising objectivity. Although the interpretation of limited details has influenced microbial ecologists, the scope of methodological bias remains unfamiliar. A detailed catalog of functional genes and soil microorganisms does not yet exist for any soil. Overall, this chapter provides thoughts related to the soil metagenomics, its importance, and conventional methods of analysis, along with prospects and challenges of soil metagenomics.

Soil is a robust and brilliantly vast ecosystem (2000–8.3 million bacterial species per gram). Therefore, it serves as a vast reservoir for microorganisms inhabiting in a niche that is different within the specific soil ecosystem, which can be pathogenic or beneficial [1–4]. Each proportion of soil whether in grasslands, forests, or deserts (i.e., sand, silt, clay, and organic matter) offers habitats for nematodes and a large number of microbes that vary from bacteria and are also useful in nutrient cycling [5–8]. Moreover, the distinct microhabitat dwelled by microorganisms with the capability to adjust and established their colony to the specific niche [9]. The crucial factors which influence the microbial load in the soil ecosystem include soil pH, organic compound, and temperature [10–12]. The chemical or physical activity does not merely determine the development of soil but the constant unfolding of different microbial species, which include or may improve the attributes of soils, regarding the development of function and structure [13, 14]. Soil supplies protection to different soil harboring animals, reptiles, and insects, along with a tremendous

In this direction, the field of metagenomics continues to be a ground-breaking technology, which has made it possible to explore microbial diversity with its full
