Note: Front Cover -- Fungi Bio-Prospects in Sustainable Agriculture, Environment and Nano-Technology: Volume 1: Fungal Diversity of Sustainable Agriculture -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- List of Contributors -- Preface -- 1 Endophytic fungi: A review of survival strategies that influence the biodiversity studies associated with biopotential pr... -- Introduction -- Importance to study the endophytic fungal diversity -- Fungal endophytes from subtropics and tropical regions -- Endophytes will be modern microbial technology to fulfill our societal needs -- Significance on understanding the modern era challenges -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 2 Evaluation of phylloplane fungal flora and host plants in the Southern Western Ghats -- Scope of the study -- References -- 3 Fungal endophytes from seaweeds and bio-potential applications in agriculture -- Introduction -- Seaweeds -- Endophytic fungi -- Diversity of molecules produced by seaweed endophytic fungi -- Role of endophytic fungi in plant growth -- Seaweed endophytic fungi as phosphate solubilizers -- Seaweed endophytic fungi as potassium solubilizers -- Bioactive compounds -- Future perspectives -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 4 Fungal endophytes: Entry, establishment, diversity, future prospects in agriculture -- Introduction -- What are endophytes? -- How do these endophytes enter and establish inside the plants? -- How diverse these endophytes are? -- How these fungal endophytes can contribute to sustainable agriculture? -- Phosphate solubilization -- Conclusion -- References -- 5 Fungal endophytes, biodiversity and biopotential applications -- Introduction -- History and evolution of endophytic fungi -- Endophytic fungi -- Biodiversity of fungal endophytes in India -- Unique features of marine environment and their relevance to marine fungi -- Classification of endophytes. , Sponge associated fungal endophytes -- Bioactive compounds and their biopotential applications -- Primary and secondary metabolites -- Factors affecting the production of metabolites -- Future prospects -- References -- 6 The role of fungi in abiotic stress tolerance of plants -- Introduction -- Fungal symbiosis -- Types of fungal symbionts -- Role of fungus in various abiotic stress tolerance -- Salinity stress -- Endophytes -- Mycorrhiza -- Drought stress -- Endophyte -- Mycorrhiza -- Heavy metal stress -- Endophyte -- Mycorrhiza -- Temperature (heat and cold stress) -- Endophyte -- Mycorrhiza -- Conclusion -- References -- 7 Phytopathogenic fungi and their biocontrol applications -- Introduction -- Plant pathology -- Definition of plant pathology -- Plant pathologist -- Definition of disease -- The disease triangle -- Factors affecting disease development -- Pathogen factors -- Introduction of new pathogen -- Presence of aggressive strain of the pathogen -- High birth rate of the pathogen -- Low death rate -- Easy and rapid dispersal of the pathogen -- Adaptability of the pathogen -- Host factors -- Susceptibility of the host -- Aggregation and distribution of susceptible hosts -- Introduction of new host(s) -- Introduction of new collateral or alternate hosts -- Environmental factors -- Simple interest diseases -- Compound interest diseases -- The edaphic environment -- Interactions among factors -- Plant pathogens -- Classification of plant disease -- Fungi -- Phenomenon of infection - pre-penetration, penetration and post penetration -- Pre entry (pre-penetration) -- Entry (penetration) -- Colonization (post penetration) -- Pathogenesis - role of enzymes, toxins, growth regulators and polysaccharides -- Enzymes -- Cellulases -- Hemicellulases -- Ligninases -- Toxins as chemical weapons of pathogens -- Tabtoxin -- Phaseolotoxin -- Tentoxin. , Host-specific toxins -- T-toxin -- HC-toxin -- Growth regulators as weapons -- Auxins -- Gibberellins -- Ethylene -- General principles of plant diseases management - importance, general principles: avoidance, exclusion, eradication, protec... -- Biocontrol of plant disease -- Interactions between plants and beneficial microbes -- Biological control and PGPR -- Parasitism and lysis -- Antibiosis -- Competition -- Trichoderma viride -- Bacillus subtilis -- Pseudomonas fluorescens -- Plant products and antiviral principles in plant disease management -- Neem products -- Neem seed Kernel extract (NSKE) -- Neem oil solution -- Neem cake extract -- Neem cake -- Other plant products -- PGPR -- Disease control -- Ways that PGPR promote plant growth -- Anti-viral principle (AVP) -- Biotechnological developments -- Disease management by biotechnological methods -- Genetic engineering -- Vectors for transfer of genes -- DNA construction -- Coat-protein expression in transgenic plants -- Satellite RNA expression in transgenic plants -- MIC RNA expression in transgenic plants -- Use of RFLP markers for cloning resistance genes -- Disease resistance genes mapped using RFLP markers detoxification of pathotoxin -- Activation of plant defense mechanism - phytoalexins -- Defense related genes -- a. Single gene defense mechanism -- Chitinases and glucanases -- b. Multigenic defense mechanism -- Peroxidases -- Activation of defense genes by chemicals -- Cell and tissue culture -- Somaclonal variation -- Disease resistant plants from tissue culture -- Anther culture -- Protoplasmic fusion -- Reference -- 8 Impact of fungal inoculants on sustainable agriculture -- Introduction -- Soil and soil organisms and nutrients -- Use of microbes -- Microbial inoculants -- Fungal inoculants -- Future prospects and limitations -- Conclusion -- References -- Further reading. , 9 Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi: Potential role in sustainable agriculture -- Introduction -- Role of AMF for improving agricultural yield and quality -- Role of AMF in biotic stress management -- Viral diseases -- Nematodes -- Role of AMF against abiotic stress management -- Drought stress -- Salinity stress -- Heavy metal stress -- AMF mediated defense mechanisms -- Factors affecting AMF potential -- Commercial potential of AMF -- Future challenges and strategies in AMF mediated disease management -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgement -- References -- 10 Endophytic fungal diversity of selected medicinal plants and their bio-potential applications -- Diversity of fungal endophytes -- The plant -- Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers ex Hook F & -- Thoms -- Systematic position -- Adhatoda vasica Nees -- Systematic position -- Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng -- Systematic position -- Endophytes in laboratory culture -- Gateway of fungi in host plant -- Histological studies -- Isolation and identification of endophytic fungi -- Metabolites from endophytic fungi -- Biological roles of fungal endophytes -- Nutrient pedaling and phyto-stimulation -- Anticancer activity -- Antimicrobial properties -- Antidiabetic activity -- Immunosuppressive activity -- Antiviral activity -- Conclusion -- References -- Further reading -- 11 Prospect of biofuel production by fungus -- Introduction -- Bioethanol production -- Status of bioethanol production in the world and in India -- Feedstocks and biomass used for bioethanol production -- Fungus as microorganism for pretreatment of lignocellulosic substrates for bioethanol production -- Bioreactors for bioethanol production by fungus -- Biodiesel production -- Status of biodiesel production in the world and in India -- Feedstocks and biomass used for biodiesel production -- Fungus as microorganism for oil production. , Production of biodiesel from fungal oil after transesterification process -- Nano catalyzed biodiesel production -- Alumina based catalysts -- Silica-based catalysts -- Calcium oxide-based catalysts -- Zirconia based catalysts -- Magnesium oxide-based catalysts -- Titanium dioxide-based catalysts -- Heteropolyacid based catalysts -- Carbon-based catalysts -- Biogas production -- Status of biogas production in the world and in India -- Feedstocks and biomass used for biogas production -- Production of biogas by anaerobic digestion of organic feedstocks by microorganisms -- Fungus as microorganism for anaerobic digestion -- Microbial fuel cell -- Current scenario of MFC's in the world and in India -- Mechanism of electricity production in MFC -- Mechanisms of electron transfer in MFC -- Direct electron transfer -- Indirect electron transfer (exogenous or endogenous) -- Why fungus is superior to bacteria or algae? -- Fungus as anode and cathode -- Fungi/yeasts as biocatalyst in cathode -- Fungi/yeasts as biocatalyst in anode -- Applications of MFC -- Production of bio electricity -- Biohydrogen production -- Waste water treatment containing organic matter and heavy metals -- Carbon sequestration -- Biosensor -- Conclusions -- Acknowledgement -- References -- 12 Fungal endophytes and their applications as growth promoters and biological control agents -- Introduction -- Plant-endophyte interaction -- Fungal endophytes and their plant host -- Importance/functional significance of fungal endophytes -- Role of fungal endophytes in plant growth promotion -- Mode of action for growth promotion -- Fungal endophytes as biocontrol agents -- Mechanism for biocontrol activities -- Synthesis of bioactive compounds -- Conclusion -- References -- 13 Rhizosphere fungi and their plant association: Current and future prospects -- Introduction. , Plant-microbe communication.