Potentials of Plant Probiotic Bacteria for Improving Growth and Health of Crop Plants

The global scenario of increasing population and severe descent in agricultural productivity has led to dramatic changes in agricultural patterns over the last few centuries. The intensive agriculture approaches assure a rapid increase in food production to address the increase in food demand but entail excessive damage to the environment and ecosystem. A group of bacterial strains, collectively referred to as plant probiotic bacteria (PPB), harbor mechanisms that enhance plant growth, increase crop nutrient content, and enable plants to secrete bioactive compounds that are beneficial to manage plant diseases and environmental stresses. These groups of organisms can significantly improve crop production by their potential role in inducing systemic resistance within their host and be utilized as bioprotectants, biostimulants, biocontrol agents, and/or biofertilizers, providing a much more promising approach for sustainable crop production. Acknowledging the ongoing struggle of food production requirements and side effects of intensive agricultural techniques, PPBs can serve as an eco-friendly alternative that can ensure environmental quality and ecosystem equilibrium. This chapter compiles a brief introduction to PPB and some categories of organisms under this group, explores some of the potential benefits and applications of PPB in recent years, as well as mentions some of the concerns regarding the commercialization and acceptance of these probiotic products among the general population.