Plant, Soil and Microbes ― Mechanisms and Molecular Interactions

The interactions between the plant, soil, and microbes are very complex in nature and may be antagonistic, mutualistic, or synergistic, depending upon the types of microorganisms and their association with the plant and soil. The multi-trophictactics are involved in these types of interactions to nourish the plants in various habitats and conditions. Understanding the mechanisms of these interactions is highly desired to utilize the knowledge in such an eco-friendly and sustainable way, which may not only resolve the upcoming food security issues but also make the environment green by reducing the chemical inputs. Plant, Soil and Microbes: Mechanisms and Molecular Interactions, along with the recently published Plant, Soil and Microbes: Implications in Crop Science, provide detailed accounts of the exquisite and delicate balance between the three critical components of agronomy. Specifically, these two titles focus on the basis of nutrient exchange between the microorganisms and the host plants, the mechanism of disease protection and the recent molecular details emerged from studying this multitropic interaction. Together they provide a solid foundation for the students, teachers, and researchers interested in soil microbiology, plant pathology, ecology and agronomy.

Dr. Khalid Rehman Hakeem (PhD) is working as a Fellow Researcher at the Faculty of Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia and also Visiting Professor at Fatih University, Istanbul, Turkey. He has obtained his MSc. (Environmental Botany) as well as PhD (Botany) from Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India in 2006 and 2011 respectively. He did his Post Doctorate in the fields of Forest dynamics and biotechnological studies from Universiti Putra Malaysia from 2012-2013. Dr. Hakeem has more than Eight years of teaching and research experience in Plant Eco-Physiology, Biotechnology & Molecular biology as well as in Ecological & Environmental sciences. Recipient of several fellowships at both national and international levels, Dr. Hakeem has so far edited and authored more than fifteen books with International publishers. He has also to his credit more than 70 research publications in peer reviewed international journals, including 28 book chapters with foreign publishers. He is also the Editorial board member and reviewer of several high impact international Journals. Dr. Hakeem is currently engaged in studying the plant processes at ecophysiological as well as proteomic levels.
Dr. Mohd. Sayeed Akhtar (PhD) is working as a Assistant Professor in Gandhi Faiz-E-Aam College, Shahjahanpur, affiliated to M.J.P. Rohailkhand University, Braeilly, U.P., India. He has received his PhD degree from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), India in 2008. He has conducted his postdoctoral research at the Botanical Institute, University of Basel (BIB), Switzerland (2008–2010) and Chonbuk National University (CBNU), Republic of Korea in 2011, respectively, and also works Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Jimma university, Jimma, Ethiopia (form 2011-2014), and Fellow Researcher UDQ9 at the Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia (from 2014-2015). Dr. Akhtar has more than twelve years of research and teaching experience in Soil Microbiology, Applied Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Plant Pathology and Plant Nano-biotechnology. Dr. Akhtar has received several prestigious fellowships at national and international levels. His promising approach and dedication stands him in the row of foremost scientist in the field of Plant-Microbe Interaction and Plant Nano-biotechnology. He is author and coauthor of about 45 research articles in peer reviewed journals, contributed 12 book chapters in the books published by Springer-Verlag and also edited 3 books with international publishers. He is serving the scientific community as editorial board member and reviewer of several high impact international Journals. His current research is focused on the rhizospheric plant-microbe interactions and their molecular biotechnology, bioremediation, biomineralization, nano-fertilizers and Nanobiotechnology.