Note: Front Cover -- Microbiome Stimulants for Crops -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- List of contributors -- Introduction -- References -- 1 Microbial endophytes: evolution, diversity, community functions, and regulation -- 1.1 Evolution of endophytism -- 1.2 Endophytism, rhizophagy cycle, and plant development -- 1.3 The clavicipitalean model for the evolution of endophytism -- 1.3.1 Life cycle variations -- 1.3.2 Epichloë endophytes as fungi trapped in host plants -- 1.3.3 Significance of meristem colonization -- 1.4 Geographic patterns -- 1.5 Plant and fungal diversity -- 1.6 Species and community regulation in clavicipitalean endophytes -- 1.7 Plant-microbe talking: signaling and sensing -- 1.7.1 Fungal quorum signaling and inhibiting metabolites -- 1.7.2 Plant-produced reactive oxygen and quorum inhibitors of pathogenicity -- 1.8 Future challenges -- Acknowledgment -- Conflicts for interest -- References -- 2 Friends in low places: Soil derived microbial inoculants for biostimulation and biocontrol in crop production -- 2.1 Terrestrial plants evolved with the help of soil microbes -- 2.2 Targeting soils for bioprospection of microbial inoculants -- 2.3 Plant growth-promoting soil microbes -- 2.4 Soil microbes helping plants resist abiotic stress -- 2.4.1 Aiding in plant nutrition -- 2.4.2 Helping plants cope with soil salinity and drought stress -- 2.4.3 Rhizosphere microbes helping with soil phytoremediation -- 2.4.4 Soil microbes can bioharden, bioprime, and biotize plantlets to reduce transplant shock -- 2.5 Using soil microbes for biocontrol of plant pathogens -- 2.6 Soil microbes can help plants establish symbiosis with other rhizosphere dwellers -- 2.7 Conclusions -- References -- 3 The roles of endophytes in modulating crop plant development -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Endophytes and plant growth promotion. , 3.2.1 Modulation of plant development through phytohormones production -- 3.2.2 Modulation of plant development through nutrient mobilization -- 3.3 Endophytes and protection of plant from abiotic stresses -- 3.4 Endophytes and protection of crop plant from diseases -- 3.5 Conclusion -- Acknowledgment -- References -- 4 Epichloë endophytes stimulate grass development and physiological state in China -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Salt stress -- 4.3 Disease resistance -- 4.4 Cold stress -- 4.5 Drought stress -- 4.6 Nitrogen stress -- 4.7 Heavy metal stress -- 4.8 Insect -- 4.9 Breeding -- 4.10 Root-associated microorganism communities -- 4.11 Conclusion and future prospects -- References -- 5 Endophytic microbes promote plant growth and alter host secondary metabolites -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Endophytes versus epiphytes and mycorrhizae -- 5.3 Entrance, establishment, and transmission of endophytes within plants -- 5.3.1 Endophytic microbes in plant growth enhancement -- 5.3.2 Endophytic microbes in plant protection -- 5.4 Microbial endophytes altering host secondary metabolites -- 5.4.1 Partial or total production of host-derived metabolites by endophytes -- 5.4.2 Endophytes colonization induces host metabolite production -- 5.4.3 Biotransformation of host origin compounds by endophytes -- 5.5 Conclusion -- Acknowledgment -- References -- Further reading -- 6 The dynamic mechanisms underpinning symbiotic Epichloë-grass interactions: implications for sustainable and resilient agr... -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Epichloë life cycle -- 6.3 Epichloë secondary metabolites -- 6.4 Host and endophyte metabolome changes in response to endophyte infection -- 6.4.1 Specific endophyte-induced changes on the host metabolome -- 6.4.2 Host-induced changes to fungal secondary metabolism. , 6.4.3 Benefits of Epichloë under nutrient deficient and/or polluted environmental conditions -- 6.4.4 Environmental effects on alkaloid production -- 6.5 Interactions between Epichloë and other microorganisms -- 6.6 Role of the Epichloë reactive NADPH oxidase complex in symbiosis -- 6.7 Regulation of iron homeostasis in Epichloë-ryegrass symbioses -- 6.8 Mechanisms of host responses-transcriptomics studies -- 6.9 Plant hormones and Epichloë fungal endophytes of grasses -- 6.9.1 Plant defense hormones associated with Epichloë endophytes -- 6.9.2 Plant growth-promoting and stress hormones associated with Epichloë endophytes -- 6.9.3 Conclusions and future experiments -- 6.10 Applications in agriculture and economic importance -- 6.11 Final perspectives -- References -- 7 Potential application of plant growth promoting bacteria in bioenergy crop production -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Microbiome research in bioenergy crops -- 7.3 Growth promotion for bioenergy crops -- 7.3.1 Switchgrass -- 7.3.2 Miscanthus -- 7.3.3 Poplar -- 7.4 Stress tolerance -- 7.4.1 Abiotic stress - drought -- 7.4.2 Abiotic stress - salt stress -- 7.4.3 Biotic stress control - switchgrass and Miscanthus -- 7.5 Bioremediation -- 7.6 Mechanisms -- 7.6.1 Nitrogen fixation -- 7.6.2 Plant hormone regulation -- 7.6.3 Phosphate solubilization -- 7.6.4 Biocontrol of pathogens -- 7.6.5 Abiotic stress tolerance -- 7.6.6 Molecular mechanisms -- 7.7 Perspectives and challenges -- 7.7.1 Growth promoting efficiency in the field -- 7.7.2 Plant growth promoting bacteria genotype-specific effects -- 7.7.3 Seed endophytes and vertical transmission -- 7.7.4 Consortia and superior plant growth promoting bacteria -- 7.7.5 Engineering plant growth promoting bacteria with genes of interest -- References. , 8 Soil microbiome to maximize the benefits to crop plants-a special reference to rhizosphere microbiome -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 Soil microbiome and rhizosphere microbiome -- 8.3 Microbiome-mediated abiotic stress management and plant growth -- 8.4 Physiological and molecular mechanisms mediated abiotic stress management in plants by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria -- 8.5 Microbiome-mediated biotic stress management and plant growth -- 8.6 Mechanisms exerted by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria to combat biotic stress management and plant growth -- 8.7 Conclusion -- References -- 9 Belowground dialogue between plant roots and beneficial microbes -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 Crosstalk between plant root system and microorganisms -- 9.3 Plant growth-promoting microbes and their ways out to enhance plant growth -- 9.3.1 Phytohormone production -- 9.3.2 Mineral nutrient assimilation (N2 fixation) and solubilization of insoluble minerals (P, K, Zn, and Si) -- 9.3.3 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase activity -- 9.3.4 Volatile organic compounds production for stimulation of plant growth -- 9.3.5 Siderophore and hydrogen cyanide production -- 9.4 Role of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria in abiotic and biotic stress management -- 9.4.1 Abiotic stresses -- 9.4.1.1 Salinity stress -- 9.4.1.2 Drought stress -- 9.4.1.3 Heavy metals stress -- 9.4.2 Biotic stress management -- 9.5 Conclusion and future directions -- Acknowledgment -- References -- 10 The microbial role in the control of phytopathogens-an alternative to agrochemicals -- 10.1 Introduction -- 10.2 Antibiosis -- 10.2.1 Antibiosis by Gram-negative bacteria -- 10.2.2 Antibiosis by Gram-positive bacteria -- 10.2.3 Antibiosis by fungi -- 10.3 Induction of systemic resistance -- 10.3.1 Plant defenses -- 10.3.2 Inducing systemic resistance mechanisms. , 10.4 Interference in the quorum sensing signal by N-acyl homoserine lactones-degrading -- 10.5 Control of phytopathogenic agents by mycoparasitism -- 10.6 Competition: an indirect interaction with pathogens -- 10.7 Licensed products for biological control -- References -- 11 Microbial biocontrol formulations for commercial applications -- 11.1 Introduction -- 11.2 Biocontrol agents -- 11.3 Mechanism of action of BCAs -- 11.3.1 Induced resistance -- 11.3.2 Antibiosis -- 11.3.3 Hyperparasitism (mycoparasitism) -- 11.3.4 Competition -- 11.3.5 Combined modes of action -- 11.4 Commercialized microbial BCAs -- 11.5 Types and modes of application of BCAs -- 11.5.1 Types of BCA -- 11.5.1.1 Bacterial BCAs -- 11.5.1.2 Fungal BCAs -- 11.5.1.3 Yeast BCAs -- 11.5.2 Modes of application of BCAs -- 11.5.2.1 Soil inoculation -- 11.5.2.2 Seed inoculation -- 11.5.2.3 Vegetative part inoculation -- 11.5.3 Formulations -- 11.5.3.1 Talc-based formulations -- 11.5.3.2 Coffee husk-based formulations -- 11.5.3.3 Alginate bead-based formulation (encapsulation method) -- 11.5.3.4 Oil based formulations -- 11.5.3.5 Nanoparticle based formulations -- 11.6 Challenges with microbial BCAs -- 11.7 Future aspects -- 11.8 Conclusions -- References -- 12 Potential effect of microbial biostimulants in sustainable vegetable production -- 12.1 Introduction -- 12.2 Microbial biostimulants and action mechanisms -- 12.2.1 Plant growth promoting rhizobacterias as microbial biostimulants and their mechanisms -- 12.2.2 Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and its mechanisms as microbial biostimulants -- 12.3 Effects of plant growth promoting rhizobacterias on nutrient uptake in vegetable crops -- 12.3.1 Solanaceae -- 12.3.2 Cucurbitaceae -- 12.3.3 Brassicaceae -- 12.3.4 Other vegetables -- 12.4 Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on nutrient uptake in vegetable crops -- 12.4.1 Solanaceae. , 12.4.2 Cucurbitaceae.