Agricultural Microbiology

Description:
This text book is written keeping in mind the contents of the syllabus of the course Agricultural Microbiology taught in BSc.(Ag) degree program all over the country as the syllabus is approved in Deans committee at ICAR level. The book will be useful for students and the teachers teaching the course. The book has five sections namely basics of microbiology which deals with fundamental principles of general microbiology. Section two covers ecology of soil biota and organisms in soil liter interfaces. Third section is biogeochemical cycles of plant nutrients discussing microbiological transformation of important plant nutrients and their movement in the soil constituents. Fourth section relates with applied aspect of agriculturally useful microorganisms dealing with biofertilizers and biocontrol agents. Fifth section discusses qualities of drinkable water and food and water borne diseases directly concerned with human hygiene. A chapter on traditional and molecular techniques to study soil microorganisms and their activities in situ and laboratory is also incorporated. The language of the book is simple and subject matter is discussed with help of illustration such as graphs, charts, tables and pictures, keeping readers in mind. In the end of each chapter exercise in the form of questions has been incorporated to help the student to recapitulate the contents of the chapter.

Contents:

INTRODUCTION

1. Agricultural microbiology and scope

2. History of microbiology

BASICS OF MICROBIOLOGY

3. Microbial cell: Constituents and composition

4. Prokaryotic cell metabolism

5. Nutrition, growth and culturing of microorganisms

6. Genetics of prokaryotes

7. Bacteriophages

SOIL BIOTA AND THEIR ECOLOGY

8. Soil: A habitat of microorganisms

9. Soil bacteria

10. Soil fungi

11. Soil green algae

12. Soil animals

13. Rhizosphere

14. Phyllosphere

15. Methods for studying soil microorganisms

BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES OF PLANT NUTRIENTS

16. Carbon cycle

17. Organic matter decomposition and nutrient recycling

18. Nitrogen cycle and transformation

19. Nitrification and denitrification

20. Basics of biological nitrogen fixation

21. Non-symbiotic and associative nitrogen fixation

22. Legume-rhizobia symbiosis

23. Actinorhizal symbiosis (Actinorhiza)

24. Azolla- Anabaena symbiosis

25. Microbial transformation of soil phosphorus

26. Mycorrhizae

27. Microbial transformation sulfur in soil

EXPLOITATION OF MICROORGANISMS IN AGRICULTURE

28. Biofertilizers

29. Microbial insecticides and herbicides

30. Composting

31. Microbial interactions and biocontrol soil borne plant diseases

32. Biogas production

33. Microbiology of water

34. Wastewaters

35. Food microbiology