ABSTRACT
Increasing global food demand is a major challenge for crop production, which should be met with sustainable intensification of existing cropland instead of forest clearing to minimize related environmental impacts (Tilman et al. 2011). However, regardless of future land use strategies to
CONTENTS
5.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 103 5.2 Rhizosphere .......................................................................................................................... 104 5.3 Functional Groups of Plant-Beneficial Rhizosphere Microorganisms ................................. 105
5.3.1 Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi ................................................................................. 105 5.3.2 Trichoderma ............................................................................................................. 106 5.3.3 Entomopathogenic Fungi .......................................................................................... 106 5.3.4 Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria .................................................................. 107
5.4 Microbial Interactions in the Rhizosphere ........................................................................... 108 5.4.1 Interactions between AMF and Trichoderma .......................................................... 108 5.4.2 Interactions between AMF and PGPR Bacteria ....................................................... 108 5.4.3 Microbial Rhizosphere Consortia ............................................................................. 109 5.4.4 Nontarget Effects of Microbial Inoculations ............................................................ 109
5.5 Impact of Agricultural Practice on Beneficial Rhizosphere Microorganisms ..................... 110 5.5.1 Crop Genotype .......................................................................................................... 110 5.5.2 Crop Rotation ............................................................................................................ 110 5.5.3 Fertilization .............................................................................................................. 111 5.5.4 Tillage ....................................................................................................................... 111 5.5.5 Pest Management Applications................................................................................. 112
5.6 Strategies to Integrate Beneficial Rhizosphere Microorganisms in Agroecosystems.......... 112 5.6.1 Inoculation ................................................................................................................ 112 5.6.2 Conservation ............................................................................................................. 113
5.7 Conclusions and Future Perspectives.................................................................................... 114 References ...................................................................................................................................... 114
meet the increasing global food demand, integration of biological resources in crop production seems to be an important component in sustainable crop production.
