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Working out the complexity of
interaction between microbes and plants is one of the most complex
scientific challenges. Under the present scenario, microbes will
probably assume an increasingly prominent role as we look forward to
new responsible technologies, if biotechnology is to evolve and
provide inputs for both economic and environmental sustainability.
The work being conducted is aimed at enhancing yield of economic
crops by using native plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and
developing stress tolerant transgenic bacteria and plants.
Colonization of the plant root system is very important in nearly
all interactions between plants and soil borne microbes. Selection
and improvement of rhizosphere competent bacteria to encourage
preferential colonization of desired bacteria can, therefore, be
expected to modify plant health. Techniques of genetic engineering
have been applied to encourage preferential colonization of the
desired bacteria by engineering the plant environment specifically
the rhizosphere to confer a superior ability to utilize a novel
substrate, occurring in the “root” environment Noteworthy
contributions are in the area of microbial biotechnology and relate
to elucidation of relationships between microbial populations and
environmental stresses, working out the intricacies of relationship
between microbes and plants and utilizing the knowledgebase thus
developed for enhancing the yield of economic crops through transfer
of commercially exploitable technologies.
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