Rice(Oryza sativa L.)plant protection using dual biological control and plant growth-promoting agents:Current scenarios and future prospects

Various microorganisms live in association with different parts of plants and can be harmful,neutral,or beneficial to plant health.Some microbial inhabitants of plants can control plant diseases by contesting with,predating on,or antagonizing plant pathogens and by inducing systems for plant defense.A range of methods,including plant growth-promoting microorganisms(PGPMs)as biological control agents(BCAs)(BCA-PGPMs)are used for the biological management and control of plant pathogens.Some BCAs interact with plants by inducing resistance or priming plants without direct interaction with the pathogen.Other BCAs operate via nutrient competition or other mechanisms to modulate the growth conditions for the pathogen.Generally,PGPMs can be applied alone or together with other chemicals or carriers to control various crop diseases.This review highlights the effective types of BCA-PGPMs and their applications,roles,carrier based-formulations,and responses to rice(Oryza sativa L.)pathogens.Future plant disease management prospects are promising,and growers’increasing demand for BCA-PGPM products can be exploited as an effective approach to the management of plant diseases,as well as to improve yield,environmental protection,biological resources,and agricultural system sustainability.

Advancement of noble metallic nanoparticles in agriculture: A promising future

Since the last decades,nanotechnology has gained the attention of researchers in the field of plant sciences.The characteristics of nanoparticles are reliant on their shape and size.Formulations involving noble metallic nanoparticles(NMNPs)offer novel technologies to boost agricultural productivity and minimize conventional pesticide use.The application of nanoparticles as nanofertilizer improves plant growth and enhances nutrient uptake efficiency.Noble metallic nanoparticles act as antimicrobial agents against multidrug-resistant pathogens and provide protection to plants.Nanobiosensors and nanodevices are utilized in diverse agro-based areas such as plant disease diagnosis and nanoparticle-based material delivery.Several studies have focused on negative impacts such as toxicity and environmental threats posed by NMNPs.Understanding the effects of NMNPs on agriculture is critical for the assessment of their safety and the impending environmental risks to biodiversity and human health.Here,we summarize the advances of NMNPs towards revolutionizing modern agricultural applications and the recent trends in sustainable precision agriculture.

Actinobacteria-enhanced plant growth, nutrient acquisition, and crop protection:Advances in soil, plant, and microbial multifactorial interactions

Agricultural areas of land are deteriorating every day owing to population increase, rapid urbanization, and industrialization. To feed today’s huge populations, increased crop production is required from smaller areas, which warrants the continuous application of high doses of inorganic fertilizers to agricultural land. These cause damage to soil health and, therefore, nutrient imbalance conditions in arable soils. Under these conditions, the benefits of microbial inoculants (such as Actinobacteria) as replacements for harmful chemicals and promoting ecofriendly sustainable farming practices have been made clear through recent technological advances. There are multifunctional traits involved in the production of different types of bioactive compounds responsible for plant growth promotion, and the biocontrol of phytopathogens has reduced the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. There are some well-known groups of nitrogen-fixing Actinobacteria, such as Frankia, which undergo mutualism with plants and offer enhanced symbiotic trade-offs.In addition to nitrogen fixation, increasing availability of major plant nutrients in soil due to the solubilization of immobilized forms of phosphorus and potassium compounds, production of phytohormones, such as indole-3-acetic acid, indole-3-pyruvic acid, gibberellins, and cytokinins, improving organic matter decomposition by releasing cellulases, xylanase, glucanases, lipases, and proteases, and suppression of soil-borne pathogens by the production of siderophores, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, and chitinase are important features of Actinobacteria useful for combating biotic and abiotic stresses in plants.The positive influence of Actinobacteria on soil fertility and plant health has motivated us to compile this review of important findings associated with sustaining plant productivity in the long run.