Association of Plants and Microbes: Past, Present and Future

Changing climatic conditions, biotic and abiotic stresses along with use of
synthetic fertilizers have deteriorated soil quality and crop yield. Microorganisms are
natural inhabitants of soil and plant surfaces that form a stable dynamic system with the
host plants. The plant microbiome assists in plant growth by solubilizing minerals,
recycling nutrients and inducing defense responses by mitigating environmental
stresses. These plant-associated microorganisms can be used as functional moieties to
enhance overall plant productivity and reduce negative impacts on the ecosystem. The
plants and microbes are contemplated as natural partners that harmonize various
functional traits, however, the magnitude of friendly or hostile consortium depends on
the kind of microorganisms involved. Before the scientific advent of advanced
technologies, conventional approaches such as culturing on media, microscopic
observations and biochemical tests provided awareness of how these two communicate.
Later on, contemporary molecular-based tools like polymerase chain reaction (PCR),
microarrays, enzyme-linked assays (ELISA), and nucleic acid-based methods (nextgeneration
sequencing, etc.) surfaced. This chapter will comprehend different types of
aboveground and subsurface microbes associated with the plants, their impact on
sustainable agriculture and high-throughput technologies used to investigate the plantmicrobe
relationship.