Environment Health Techniques 953
Editorial: Microbial interactions in the rhizosphere In this special issue, Journal of Basic Microbiology addresses a topic, which has gained considerable interest specifically with respect to use of microbes in agriculture. Rhizosphere microbes are known to have a major impact on plant growth. This would be true for pathogens as well as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria or biocontrol agents that can be used to reduce the amount of plant protection chemicals known to accumulate in nature. Accordingly, a review addressed these adverse or supporting role of microbes for one agricultural plant, sugarcane. Another crop plant in tropical regions would be rice, which can be supported by rhizophere bacteria producing ACC deaminase. The enzyme involved in ethylene production, and since ethylene is a plant hormone, its supply from microbial origin can support plant development and defense against pathogens. Staying with crops, another group could identify actinobacteria, which is able to promote plant health and growth. Since actinobacteria are known to be versatile secondary metabolite producers like, e.g. streptomycin, the analysis of interactions of these soil bacteria with crop plants might yield specifically interesting aspects for application. Another article is again investigating phytohormone production by microorganisms. Here, the cyanobacterial strains investigated are producing auxins, thereby interacting with the wheat root and the in planta hormone homeostasis. In this specific case, the cyanobacteria were not able to fix nitrogen. However, nitrogen fixation is a trait that certainly is beneficial for plant growth. Thus, nitrogen-fixing bacteria are investigated in another article for promotion of tomato and red pepper. Not only bacteria, but also fungi in the soil communities are able to promote plant growth. Here, an endophytic basidiomycete with strong plant growth promoting ability was addressed. Piriformospora is able to infect a broad range of plants, also including Arabidopsis, which greatly enables the investigation of molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial symbiosis. Based on such detailed studies, it is now possible to also apply the fungus to other plants, with the medicinal plant Bacopa monniera being studied here. Another system in which symbiosis is necessary for plant development is the orchid germination and orchid mycorrhiza. Dendrobium chrysanthum was used here to specifically study under which conditions and with which fungal partner the symbiosis develops optimally. All in all, the current special issue thus gives a good overview on rhizosphere plant–microbe interactions for application in agriculture. The wealth of potential mechanisms of interaction that may be tapped for sustainable agriculture is not yet exploited. Basic microbiology investigations like those mentioned above will be necessary to develop the potential of microbial rhizosphere interactions beneficial to plant growth and hence to sustainable agriculture. Erika Kothe Editor-in-Chief
ß 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA,Weinheim
www.jbm-journal.com
J. Basic Microbiol. 2013, 53, 953
Editorial: Microbial interactions in the rhizosphere In this special issue, Journal of Basic Microbiology addresses a topic, which has gained considerable interest specifically with respect to use of microbes in agriculture. Rhizosphere microbes are known to have a major impact on plant growth. This would be true for pathogens as well as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria or biocontrol agents that can be used to reduce the amount of plant protection chemicals known to accumulate in nature. Accordingly, a review addressed these adverse or supporting role of microbes for one agricultural plant, sugarcane. Another crop plant in tropical regions would be rice, which can be supported by rhizophere bacteria producing ACC deaminase. The enzyme involved in ethylene production, and since ethylene is a plant hormone, its supply from microbial origin can support plant development and defense against pathogens. Staying with crops, another group could identify actinobacteria, which is able to promote plant health and growth. Since actinobacteria are known to be versatile secondary metabolite producers like, e.g. streptomycin, the analysis of interactions of these soil bacteria with crop plants might yield specifically interesting aspects for application. Another article is again investigating phytohormone production by microorganisms. Here, the cyanobacterial strains investigated are producing auxins, thereby interacting with the wheat root and the in planta hormone homeostasis. In this specific case, the cyanobacteria were not able to fix nitrogen. However, nitrogen fixation is a trait that certainly is beneficial for plant growth. Thus, nitrogen-fixing bacteria are investigated in another article for promotion of tomato and red pepper. Not only bacteria, but also fungi in the soil communities are able to promote plant growth. Here, an endophytic basidiomycete with strong plant growth promoting ability was addressed. Piriformospora is able to infect a broad range of plants, also including Arabidopsis, which greatly enables the investigation of molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial symbiosis. Based on such detailed studies, it is now possible to also apply the fungus to other plants, with the medicinal plant Bacopa monniera being studied here. Another system in which symbiosis is necessary for plant development is the orchid germination and orchid mycorrhiza. Dendrobium chrysanthum was used here to specifically study under which conditions and with which fungal partner the symbiosis develops optimally. All in all, the current special issue thus gives a good overview on rhizosphere plant–microbe interactions for application in agriculture. The wealth of potential mechanisms of interaction that may be tapped for sustainable agriculture is not yet exploited. Basic microbiology investigations like those mentioned above will be necessary to develop the potential of microbial rhizosphere interactions beneficial to plant growth and hence to sustainable agriculture. Erika Kothe Editor-in-Chief
ß 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA,Weinheim
www.jbm-journal.com
J. Basic Microbiol. 2013, 53, 953
