Chapter 13
Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria:
Effective Tools for Increasing Nutrient
Use Efficiency and Yield of Crops
Chitra Pandey, Shrivardhan Dheeman, Deepti Prabha, Yogesh Kumar Negi,
and Dinesh Kumar Maheshwari
Abstract Agrochemicals or fertilizers are essential to optimize crop production
but their excessive and unwanted application is posing a myriad of adverse effects
such as declining soil fertility besides contaminating surface and groundwater. These
synthetic chemicals mismanage the soil ecology leading to disturbed ecosystem and
loss of beneficial bacteria inhabiting in soil. Traces of such chemicals have also
been deposited in agricultural products that cause serious illnesses in human beings.
Considering such facts, the use of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) renamed
as plant beneficial bacteria being promoted to enhance nutrient availability, plant
growth, and yield promotion to maintain sustainable agriculture. These bacteria have
been in use for a long time for increasing plant growth and development and to reduce
the subsistence farmer’s dependence on agrochemicals. The scientific community
observed that beneficial effects are now befitting for the sustainable growth promotion
and crop yield enhancement due to the influence of PGPR in order to augment nutrient
uptake capacity and nutrient use efficiency. The aim of the present study is focusing
on the PGPRs which work as a tool to enhance nutrient use efficiency of various
crops. Long-term application of such bacteria could act as a newer alternative to
C. Pandey
Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
e-mail: chitrapandey7@gmail.com
S. Dheeman
Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Sardar Bhagwan Singh University,
Balawala, Dehardun, India
S. Dheeman · D. K. Maheshwari
Department of Botany and Microbiology, Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar,
Uttarakhand, India
D. Prabha
Department of Seed Science and Technology, Chauras Campus, HNB Garhwal University,
Srinagar, Uttarakhand, India
Y. K. Negi (B)
Department of Basic Sciences, College of Forestry (VCSG UUHF), Ranichauri, Tehri Garhwal,
Uttarakhand, India
e-mail: yknegi@rediffmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. K. Maheshwari and S. Dheeman (eds.), Endophytes: Mineral Nutrient
Management, Volume 3, Sustainable Development and Biodiversity 26,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65447-4_13
293
Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria:
Effective Tools for Increasing Nutrient
Use Efficiency and Yield of Crops
Chitra Pandey, Shrivardhan Dheeman, Deepti Prabha, Yogesh Kumar Negi,
and Dinesh Kumar Maheshwari
Abstract Agrochemicals or fertilizers are essential to optimize crop production
but their excessive and unwanted application is posing a myriad of adverse effects
such as declining soil fertility besides contaminating surface and groundwater. These
synthetic chemicals mismanage the soil ecology leading to disturbed ecosystem and
loss of beneficial bacteria inhabiting in soil. Traces of such chemicals have also
been deposited in agricultural products that cause serious illnesses in human beings.
Considering such facts, the use of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) renamed
as plant beneficial bacteria being promoted to enhance nutrient availability, plant
growth, and yield promotion to maintain sustainable agriculture. These bacteria have
been in use for a long time for increasing plant growth and development and to reduce
the subsistence farmer’s dependence on agrochemicals. The scientific community
observed that beneficial effects are now befitting for the sustainable growth promotion
and crop yield enhancement due to the influence of PGPR in order to augment nutrient
uptake capacity and nutrient use efficiency. The aim of the present study is focusing
on the PGPRs which work as a tool to enhance nutrient use efficiency of various
crops. Long-term application of such bacteria could act as a newer alternative to
C. Pandey
Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
e-mail: chitrapandey7@gmail.com
S. Dheeman
Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Sardar Bhagwan Singh University,
Balawala, Dehardun, India
S. Dheeman · D. K. Maheshwari
Department of Botany and Microbiology, Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar,
Uttarakhand, India
D. Prabha
Department of Seed Science and Technology, Chauras Campus, HNB Garhwal University,
Srinagar, Uttarakhand, India
Y. K. Negi (B)
Department of Basic Sciences, College of Forestry (VCSG UUHF), Ranichauri, Tehri Garhwal,
Uttarakhand, India
e-mail: yknegi@rediffmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. K. Maheshwari and S. Dheeman (eds.), Endophytes: Mineral Nutrient
Management, Volume 3, Sustainable Development and Biodiversity 26,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65447-4_13
293