Sushil Kumar Sharma, National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection (NAIMCC), ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India. Present Address: ICAR-National Institute of Biotic Stress Management, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, IndiaDr Sushil K. Sharma is currently working as a Principal Scientist (Agricultural Microbiology) at ICAR-National Institute of Biotic Stress Management, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India in the area of microbial resource conservation, secondary metabolites, and antimicrobial peptides for biotic stress management of crops. In the recent past, he worked at ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India in the capacity of Officer In-charge/focal point, National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection [NAIMCC - International Depository Authority (IDA)-Budapest Treaty Notification No. 338]. He delivered talks in International PGPR conference in Medellin, Columbia in June, 2012 and subsequently in Asian PGPR Conference, Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 2019. So far he had published 110 articles (research, review, book chapter, book etc.) in both national and international journals/book/conferences.Udai Bhan Singh, Plant Microbe Interaction and Rhizosphere Biology Lab, ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India.Dr. Udai Bhan Singh, presently working as Scientist (Senior Scale) in the Plant-Microbe Interaction & Rhizosphere Biology Lab, ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Kushmaur, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India. His specialized area are: Plant-Microbe Interactions in the rhizosphere with special reference to biotic and abiotic stress management/molecular biology/biotechnology/plant pathology. Dr. Singh has been awarded with ‘DST Young Scientist’ under Fast-Track Scheme, ‘Young Scientistaward’ of RASSA, New Delhi, Bharat Shiksha Ratan Award, K.P.V. Menon and Prof. K.S. Bilgrami Best Poster Award for the Year 2018 by Indian Phytopathological Society, New Delhi and Indian Society of Mycology & Plant Pathology, Udaipur.Pramod Kumar Sahu, Plant Microbe Interaction and Rhizosphere Biology Lab, ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India.Dr. Pramod Kumar Sahu has completed B.Sc. from IGKVV, M.Sc. (Gold-Medalist) and Ph.D. (Agricultural Microbiology) from UAS, Bengaluru, India. He was a DST-Inspire fellow and was selected in various national level exams including ICAR-JRF, ICAR-SRF, ICAR-NET, ARS, and GATE. Being a Scientist of Agricultural Microbiology at ICAR - NBAIM, Mau, India, working on plant-endophyte interaction, consortium of bioinoculants and biological control, and has more than 45 publications, 6 training manuals, 13 extension folders, 3 popular articles, and 30 abstractsto his credit. He has won Dr. B. P. Pal’S Prize Gold Medal, Dr. G. Rangaswamy Gold Medal, Willium Rigo award, several best posters and best oral presentation awards along with Young Scientist in Agricultural Microbiology-2018 award.Harsh Vardhan Singh, Plant Microbe Interaction and Rhizosphere Biology Lab ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India.Dr. Harsh Vardhan Singh is currently working as a Principal Scientist (Plant Pathology) at ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Kushmaur, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India. He is specialized in the areas of: plant-microbe Interactions, biological control, biotic and abiotic stress management. He has vast research experience in the field of Plant Pathology with special reference to temperate crops of Jammu and Kashmir and grasses and fodder crops. He served as a Junior Scientist-cum-Assistant Professor in Plant Pathology(2002-2007) at RARSS, SKUAST-K, Kargil, Programme Coordinator (2007-2009) at KVK, Poonch, SKUAST-J and Senior Scientist (Plant Pathology) at ICAR-IGFRI, Jhansi from 2009-18. Pawan Kumar Sharma, ICAR-National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection (NAIMCC), National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India.Dr. Pawan Kumar Sharma did his M.Sc and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from by DR YSP University of Horticulture & Forestry, Solan, HP . He is working as Principal scientist at ICAR-NBAIM at Mau, UP since September 2013. He had been associated with 14 projects as PI or Co-PI sponsored by various agencies. Currently he is working on biological control of wilt and collar rot diseases through liquid based formulation of Trichoderma and are also In-charge of National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection. He has published 46 research papers in national and international journals,edited 4 books, authored 1 book.

• Chapter 1. Microbial Interactions in the Rhizosphere Contributing Crop Resilience to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses.- Chapter 2. Rhizosphere microbes for sustainable maintenance of plant health and soil fertility.- Chapter 3. Dissecting Structure and Function of Plant Rhizomicrobiome: A Genomic Approach.- Chapter 4. Plant Root Exudates as Determinant Of Rhizomicrobiome.- Chapter 5. Rhizospheric Microbial Community: Ecology, Methods and Functions.- Chapter 6. Signaling in the Rhizosphere for Better Plant and Soil Health.- Chapter 7. Microbial Transformation of Nutrients in Soil: An Overview.- Chapter 8. Microbial indicator of soil health: Conventional to Modern Approaches.- Chapter 9. Rhizosphere Microbes – Driver for Soil Health Management.- Chapter 10. Ralstonia solanacearum: - Biology and its Management in Solanaceous Crops.- Chapter 11. Seed Endophytes: The Benevolent Existence in the Plant System.- Chapter 12. Exploitation of plant tissue invading rhizospheric microbes as biofertilizer.- Chapter 13. Contribution of Microbe-Mediated Processes in Nitrogen Cycle to Attain Environmental Equilibrium.- Chapter 14. Contribution of Zinc Solubilizing and Mobilizing Microorganisms (ZSMM) to Enhance Zinc for Better Soil, Plant and Human Health.- Chapter 15. Fungal Siderophore: Biosynthesis, Transport, Regulation, and Potential Applications.- Chapter 16. Status of Silicon in Ecosystem, Silicon Solubilization by Rhizospheric Microorganisms and their Impact on Crop Productivity.- Chapter 17. Diversity and Function of Microbes Associated with Rhizosphere of Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana).- Chapter 18. Diversity and community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere of salt affected soils.- Chapter 19. Beta-glucanolytic soil actinomycetes- Diversity and applications.- Chapter 20. Microbial Diversity of Chickpea Rhizosphere.- Chapter 21. The rhizosphere microbiome and its role in plant growth in stressed environment.- Chapter 22. Rhizobacteria mediated alleviation of abiotic stresses in crops.- Chapter 23. Rhizospheric Microbes as Potential Tool for Remediation of Carbofuran: An Overview.- Chapter 24. Trichoderma spp.: A Unique Fungal Biofactory for Healthy Plant Growth.- Chapter 25. Management of Sclerotium rolfsii induced Diseases in Crops by Trichoderma species.- Chapter 26. Biotic Stress Management in Horticultural Crops through Microbial Intervention.- Chapter 27. Commercial aspects of biofertilizers and biostimulants development utilizing rhizosphere microbes: global and indian scenario.

Sushil Kumar Sharma, National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection (NAIMCC), ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India. Present Address: ICAR-National Institute of Biotic Stress Management, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, IndiaDr Sushil K. Sharma is currently working as a Principal Scientist (Agricultural Microbiology) at ICAR-National Institute of Biotic Stress Management, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India in the area of microbial resource conservation, secondary metabolites, and antimicrobial peptides for biotic stress management of crops. In the recent past, he worked at ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India in the capacity of Officer In-charge/focal point, National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection [NAIMCC - International Depository Authority (IDA)-Budapest Treaty Notification No. 338]. He delivered talks in International PGPR conference in Medellin, Columbia in June, 2012 and subsequently in Asian PGPR Conference, Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 2019. So far he had published 110 articles (research, review, book chapter, book etc.) in both national and international journals/book/conferences.Udai Bhan Singh, Plant Microbe Interaction and Rhizosphere Biology Lab, ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India.Dr. Udai Bhan Singh, presently working as Scientist (Senior Scale) in the Plant-Microbe Interaction & Rhizosphere Biology Lab, ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Kushmaur, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India. His specialized area are: Plant-Microbe Interactions in the rhizosphere with special reference to biotic and abiotic stress management/molecular biology/biotechnology/plant pathology. Dr. Singh has been awarded with ‘DST Young Scientist’ under Fast-Track Scheme, ‘Young Scientistaward’ of RASSA, New Delhi, Bharat Shiksha Ratan Award, K.P.V. Menon and Prof. K.S. Bilgrami Best Poster Award for the Year 2018 by Indian Phytopathological Society, New Delhi and Indian Society of Mycology & Plant Pathology, Udaipur.Pramod Kumar Sahu, Plant Microbe Interaction and Rhizosphere Biology Lab, ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India.Dr. Pramod Kumar Sahu has completed B.Sc. from IGKVV, M.Sc. (Gold-Medalist) and Ph.D. (Agricultural Microbiology) from UAS, Bengaluru, India. He was a DST-Inspire fellow and was selected in various national level exams including ICAR-JRF, ICAR-SRF, ICAR-NET, ARS, and GATE. Being a Scientist of Agricultural Microbiology at ICAR - NBAIM, Mau, India, working on plant-endophyte interaction, consortium of bioinoculants and biological control, and has more than 45 publications, 6 training manuals, 13 extension folders, 3 popular articles, and 30 abstractsto his credit. He has won Dr. B. P. Pal’S Prize Gold Medal, Dr. G. Rangaswamy Gold Medal, Willium Rigo award, several best posters and best oral presentation awards along with Young Scientist in Agricultural Microbiology-2018 award.Harsh Vardhan Singh, Plant Microbe Interaction and Rhizosphere Biology Lab ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India.Dr. Harsh Vardhan Singh is currently working as a Principal Scientist (Plant Pathology) at ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Kushmaur, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India. He is specialized in the areas of: plant-microbe Interactions, biological control, biotic and abiotic stress management. He has vast research experience in the field of Plant Pathology with special reference to temperate crops of Jammu and Kashmir and grasses and fodder crops. He served as a Junior Scientist-cum-Assistant Professor in Plant Pathology(2002-2007) at RARSS, SKUAST-K, Kargil, Programme Coordinator (2007-2009) at KVK, Poonch, SKUAST-J and Senior Scientist (Plant Pathology) at ICAR-IGFRI, Jhansi from 2009-18. Pawan Kumar Sharma, ICAR-National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection (NAIMCC), National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India.Dr. Pawan Kumar Sharma did his M.Sc and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from by DR YSP University of Horticulture & Forestry, Solan, HP . He is working as Principal scientist at ICAR-NBAIM at Mau, UP since September 2013. He had been associated with 14 projects as PI or Co-PI sponsored by various agencies. Currently he is working on biological control of wilt and collar rot diseases through liquid based formulation of Trichoderma and are also In-charge of National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection. He has published 46 research papers in national and international journals,edited 4 books, authored 1 book.

• Chapter 1. Microbial Interactions in the Rhizosphere Contributing Crop Resilience to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses.- Chapter 2. Rhizosphere microbes for sustainable maintenance of plant health and soil fertility.- Chapter 3. Dissecting Structure and Function of Plant Rhizomicrobiome: A Genomic Approach.- Chapter 4. Plant Root Exudates as Determinant Of Rhizomicrobiome.- Chapter 5. Rhizospheric Microbial Community: Ecology, Methods and Functions.- Chapter 6. Signaling in the Rhizosphere for Better Plant and Soil Health.- Chapter 7. Microbial Transformation of Nutrients in Soil: An Overview.- Chapter 8. Microbial indicator of soil health: Conventional to Modern Approaches.- Chapter 9. Rhizosphere Microbes – Driver for Soil Health Management.- Chapter 10. Ralstonia solanacearum: - Biology and its Management in Solanaceous Crops.- Chapter 11. Seed Endophytes: The Benevolent Existence in the Plant System.- Chapter 12. Exploitation of plant tissue invading rhizospheric microbes as biofertilizer.- Chapter 13. Contribution of Microbe-Mediated Processes in Nitrogen Cycle to Attain Environmental Equilibrium.- Chapter 14. Contribution of Zinc Solubilizing and Mobilizing Microorganisms (ZSMM) to Enhance Zinc for Better Soil, Plant and Human Health.- Chapter 15. Fungal Siderophore: Biosynthesis, Transport, Regulation, and Potential Applications.- Chapter 16. Status of Silicon in Ecosystem, Silicon Solubilization by Rhizospheric Microorganisms and their Impact on Crop Productivity.- Chapter 17. Diversity and Function of Microbes Associated with Rhizosphere of Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana).- Chapter 18. Diversity and community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere of salt affected soils.- Chapter 19. Beta-glucanolytic soil actinomycetes- Diversity and applications.- Chapter 20. Microbial Diversity of Chickpea Rhizosphere.- Chapter 21. The rhizosphere microbiome and its role in plant growth in stressed environment.- Chapter 22. Rhizobacteria mediated alleviation of abiotic stresses in crops.- Chapter 23. Rhizospheric Microbes as Potential Tool for Remediation of Carbofuran: An Overview.- Chapter 24. Trichoderma spp.: A Unique Fungal Biofactory for Healthy Plant Growth.- Chapter 25. Management of Sclerotium rolfsii induced Diseases in Crops by Trichoderma species.- Chapter 26. Biotic Stress Management in Horticultural Crops through Microbial Intervention.- Chapter 27. Commercial aspects of biofertilizers and biostimulants development utilizing rhizosphere microbes: global and indian scenario.

Sushil Kumar Sharma, National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection (NAIMCC), ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India. Present Address: ICAR-National Institute of Biotic Stress Management, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, IndiaDr Sushil K. Sharma is currently working as a Principal Scientist (Agricultural Microbiology) at ICAR-National Institute of Biotic Stress Management, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India in the area of microbial resource conservation, secondary metabolites, and antimicrobial peptides for biotic stress management of crops. In the recent past, he worked at ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India in the capacity of Officer In-charge/focal point, National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection [NAIMCC - International Depository Authority (IDA)-Budapest Treaty Notification No. 338]. He delivered talks in International PGPR conference in Medellin, Columbia in June, 2012 and subsequently in Asian PGPR Conference, Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 2019. So far he had published 110 articles (research, review, book chapter, book etc.) in both national and international journals/book/conferences.Udai Bhan Singh, Plant Microbe Interaction and Rhizosphere Biology Lab, ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India.Dr. Udai Bhan Singh, presently working as Scientist (Senior Scale) in the Plant-Microbe Interaction & Rhizosphere Biology Lab, ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Kushmaur, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India. His specialized area are: Plant-Microbe Interactions in the rhizosphere with special reference to biotic and abiotic stress management/molecular biology/biotechnology/plant pathology. Dr. Singh has been awarded with ‘DST Young Scientist’ under Fast-Track Scheme, ‘Young Scientistaward’ of RASSA, New Delhi, Bharat Shiksha Ratan Award, K.P.V. Menon and Prof. K.S. Bilgrami Best Poster Award for the Year 2018 by Indian Phytopathological Society, New Delhi and Indian Society of Mycology & Plant Pathology, Udaipur.Pramod Kumar Sahu, Plant Microbe Interaction and Rhizosphere Biology Lab, ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India.Dr. Pramod Kumar Sahu has completed B.Sc. from IGKVV, M.Sc. (Gold-Medalist) and Ph.D. (Agricultural Microbiology) from UAS, Bengaluru, India. He was a DST-Inspire fellow and was selected in various national level exams including ICAR-JRF, ICAR-SRF, ICAR-NET, ARS, and GATE. Being a Scientist of Agricultural Microbiology at ICAR - NBAIM, Mau, India, working on plant-endophyte interaction, consortium of bioinoculants and biological control, and has more than 45 publications, 6 training manuals, 13 extension folders, 3 popular articles, and 30 abstractsto his credit. He has won Dr. B. P. Pal’S Prize Gold Medal, Dr. G. Rangaswamy Gold Medal, Willium Rigo award, several best posters and best oral presentation awards along with Young Scientist in Agricultural Microbiology-2018 award.Harsh Vardhan Singh, Plant Microbe Interaction and Rhizosphere Biology Lab ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India.Dr. Harsh Vardhan Singh is currently working as a Principal Scientist (Plant Pathology) at ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Kushmaur, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India. He is specialized in the areas of: plant-microbe Interactions, biological control, biotic and abiotic stress management. He has vast research experience in the field of Plant Pathology with special reference to temperate crops of Jammu and Kashmir and grasses and fodder crops. He served as a Junior Scientist-cum-Assistant Professor in Plant Pathology(2002-2007) at RARSS, SKUAST-K, Kargil, Programme Coordinator (2007-2009) at KVK, Poonch, SKUAST-J and Senior Scientist (Plant Pathology) at ICAR-IGFRI, Jhansi from 2009-18. Pawan Kumar Sharma, ICAR-National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection (NAIMCC), National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh, India.Dr. Pawan Kumar Sharma did his M.Sc and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from by DR YSP University of Horticulture & Forestry, Solan, HP . He is working as Principal scientist at ICAR-NBAIM at Mau, UP since September 2013. He had been associated with 14 projects as PI or Co-PI sponsored by various agencies. Currently he is working on biological control of wilt and collar rot diseases through liquid based formulation of Trichoderma and are also In-charge of National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection. He has published 46 research papers in national and international journals,edited 4 books, authored 1 book.

• Chapter 1. Microbial Interactions in the Rhizosphere Contributing Crop Resilience to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses.- Chapter 2. Rhizosphere microbes for sustainable maintenance of plant health and soil fertility.- Chapter 3. Dissecting Structure and Function of Plant Rhizomicrobiome: A Genomic Approach.- Chapter 4. Plant Root Exudates as Determinant Of Rhizomicrobiome.- Chapter 5. Rhizospheric Microbial Community: Ecology, Methods and Functions.- Chapter 6. Signaling in the Rhizosphere for Better Plant and Soil Health.- Chapter 7. Microbial Transformation of Nutrients in Soil: An Overview.- Chapter 8. Microbial indicator of soil health: Conventional to Modern Approaches.- Chapter 9. Rhizosphere Microbes – Driver for Soil Health Management.- Chapter 10. Ralstonia solanacearum: - Biology and its Management in Solanaceous Crops.- Chapter 11. Seed Endophytes: The Benevolent Existence in the Plant System.- Chapter 12. Exploitation of plant tissue invading rhizospheric microbes as biofertilizer.- Chapter 13. Contribution of Microbe-Mediated Processes in Nitrogen Cycle to Attain Environmental Equilibrium.- Chapter 14. Contribution of Zinc Solubilizing and Mobilizing Microorganisms (ZSMM) to Enhance Zinc for Better Soil, Plant and Human Health.- Chapter 15. Fungal Siderophore: Biosynthesis, Transport, Regulation, and Potential Applications.- Chapter 16. Status of Silicon in Ecosystem, Silicon Solubilization by Rhizospheric Microorganisms and their Impact on Crop Productivity.- Chapter 17. Diversity and Function of Microbes Associated with Rhizosphere of Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana).- Chapter 18. Diversity and community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere of salt affected soils.- Chapter 19. Beta-glucanolytic soil actinomycetes- Diversity and applications.- Chapter 20. Microbial Diversity of Chickpea Rhizosphere.- Chapter 21. The rhizosphere microbiome and its role in plant growth in stressed environment.- Chapter 22. Rhizobacteria mediated alleviation of abiotic stresses in crops.- Chapter 23. Rhizospheric Microbes as Potential Tool for Remediation of Carbofuran: An Overview.- Chapter 24. Trichoderma spp.: A Unique Fungal Biofactory for Healthy Plant Growth.- Chapter 25. Management of Sclerotium rolfsii induced Diseases in Crops by Trichoderma species.- Chapter 26. Biotic Stress Management in Horticultural Crops through Microbial Intervention.- Chapter 27. Commercial aspects of biofertilizers and biostimulants development utilizing rhizosphere microbes: global and indian scenario.