Application Potentials of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria and Fungi as an Alternative to Conventional Weed Control Methods

Abstract

Weeds are the plants usually grown on unwanted places and are notorious for causing interruptions in agricultural settings. Remarkable yield losses have been reported in fields infested with weeds worldwide. So far, these weeds cause about 34% of losses to yields of major agricultural crops and pose threats to economic condition of the farmers. Conventionally, weed control was achieved by the use of chemical herbicides and traditional agronomic practices. But these methods are no more sustainable as the magnitude of threats imposed by these conventionally outdated methods such as chemical herbicides is greater than the benefits achieved and their continuous use has disturbed biodiversity and weed ecology along with herbicide resistance in some weeds. Herbicide residues are held responsible for human health hazards as well. Therefore the future of weed control is to rely on alternative approaches which may be biological agents such as bacteria and fungi. This chapter highlights the potentials of using bacterial and fungal biocontrol agents against weeds in farmer fields. Moreover, detailed review on merits and demerits of conventional weed control methods is discussed in this chapter.

Effect of Ammonia and Indole-3-acetic Acid Producing Endophytic Klebsiella pneumoniae YNA12 as a Bio-Herbicide for Weed Inhibition: Special Reference with Evening Primroses

“…Moreover, the production of various metabolites by endophytes has been shown to have phytotoxic effects on non-host species. Controlling weed growth through endophytes has distinctive advantages over the application of pathogens, such as improving the ability of candidate microbes to survive in filed conditions via having consistent ecological niches within their host plant [ 26 , 28 ]. Therefore, the application of plant-promoting bacteria can be considered another environmentally sound technique for weed management as well as for reducing the application of synthetic fertilizers [ 28 ].…”

“…Controlling weed growth through endophytes has distinctive advantages over the application of pathogens, such as improving the ability of candidate microbes to survive in filed conditions via having consistent ecological niches within their host plant [ 26 , 28 ]. Therefore, the application of plant-promoting bacteria can be considered another environmentally sound technique for weed management as well as for reducing the application of synthetic fertilizers [ 28 ]. Moreover, the application of bacteria as biocontrol agents is considered more prevalent and selective as compared to synthetic herbicides by targeting only desired species and by lessening the chances of induction of resistance in target weeds due to employing various mechanisms for inhibiting their growth [ 28 ].…”

Alleviation of Salinity Induced Oxidative Stress in Chenopodium quinoa by Fe Biofortification and Biochar—Endophyte Interaction

“…In current study, plants grown on saline soil showed significant reduction in nutritional parameters, however, the application of biochar and PsJN significantly improved nutritional attributes. This enhancement of nutritional status of amended plants might be due to the better provision of nutrients through biochar and endophytic bacteria [31,64] which might have helped plants to better adjust under unfavorable growth conditions [76].…”

“…The reason for the greater colonization of PsJN strain in BC amended soil might be due to availability of plentiful nutrients for normal microbial growth, provision of niches and shelter from predators. Moreover, microbial inoculation may have helped plants to meet their nutrient requirements under diverse environmental conditions [76]. Furthermore, Naveed et al [93] demonstrated that under stressed conditions, plants undertake multiple metabolic and osmotic adjustments resulting in altered root exudation, which could affect the colonization and efficacy of bacterial inoculum.…”

Measuring the Technical Efficiency of Certified Organic Rice Producing Farms in Yasothon Province: Northeast Thailand

“…The excessive utilization of agrochemicals in conventional agricultural production settings can result in environmental degradation that ultimately threatens human health [1]. The continuous use of sole chemical fertilizers can exert several harmful effects on the soil environment, ground and surface water, and even the atmosphere, thus reducing the productivity of the soil by affecting its physical, chemical, and biological properties.…”