ABSTRACT
Currently the conventional use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for enhancing agricultural yield by nutrient supplementation or to inhibit the growth of phytopathogens unfavourably impacts the natural microbial community of plants, soil texture, and most importantly human health. In the current scenario, the use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), especially Pseudomonas, as a biofertilizer and biocontrol has gained much attention from researchers as a safe and sustainable method for agricultural use. Recently, PGPR mostly has been used as plant and soil inoculants to improve production and control plant pathogens due to their negligible harmful effects on the environment. In this chapter, the author discusses various aspects of plant growth promotion such as phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, phytohormone synthesis, HCN and NH3 production, and disease management by acting as a biofertilizer and biocontrol functioning in plants using PGPR.
