More about Microorganisms in Soil and Around Hidden Half of Plants as a Driver of Agro-ecosystem Health

摘要

It is a great honour and privilege to have this opportunity to address the members of Jorhat Chapter of Indian Society of Soil Science (ISSS) and the august gathering from different disciplines of agriculture on the occasion of the 21s1 Dr. B.V. MehtaMemorial Lecture 2017. I express my sincere gratitude to the Indian Society of Soil Science, New Delhi as well as the Jorhat Chapter of ISSS. Dr. B.V. Mehta was a distinguished scientist and academician with vision and an initiator of research work on trace element as early as mid-fifties. He made commendable and substantial contribution in the sphere of soil fertility and plant nutrition which were then emerging field of research in agriculture with an aim to develop efficient nutrient management strategy for enhancing crop yield. Over the years, the science of crops and soils has evolved and encompassed soil organisms as an integral component in management of health of soil and agroecosystem. Recent studies have started unravelling multiple roles ofmicroorganisms which interact with plant root exterior and interior by several known mechanisms and perhaps several others which are not yet revealed. On this occasion, I thought that it would be appropriate to share few emerging knowledge on myriad ofassociations in between microorganisms, soils and plants with special reference to bacterial group in hidden parts of plants and their role in plant and soil ecosystem functions.