Streptomycetes: Biological Candidates for Sustainable Agriculture

This edited book offers a comprehensive exploration of the role that Streptomyces, a genus of actinobacteria, plays in sustainable agriculture. As the world grapples with the dual challenges of a growing population and environmental sustainability, Streptomyces emerges as a promising solution to enhance agricultural productivity while reducing reliance on harmful chemicals. This volume sheds new light on how Streptomyces can mitigate biotic and abiotic stresses, enhancing plant health and soil quality.

The chapters cover topics such as the diversity of Streptomyces species and their bioactive metabolites, and their applications as biocontrol agents against phytopathogens, insect pests, and plant-parasitic nematodes. The book delves into the mechanisms by which these bacteria promote plant growth, offering insights into their potential to revolutionize agricultural practices. The book discusses the latest advancements in utilizing Streptomycetes for sustainable food production, addressing critical questions about their role in future agricultural systems.

This volume is valuable for researchers, scholars, and practitioners in the fields of agriculture, microbiology, and environmental science. It invites readers to explore the intersection of microbial diversity and sustainable farming, providing insights that are crucial for developing innovative agricultural solutions. 

List of contents

1. Diversity, Physiology and Classification of Streptomycetes.- 2. Streptomyces and Sustainable Agriculture.- 3. Bioactive compounds from streptomycetes for applications in diverse fields.- 4. Streptomycetes as Mitigators of biotic and abiotic stress.- 5. Potential of Streptomycetes as Biocontrol and Plant Growth-Promoting Agents.- 6. Exploration of Streptomycetes as Biocontrol Agents against plant pathogens.- 7. Exploration of Streptomycetes as Nematicidal and Herbicidal agents.- 8. Streptomycetes as Emerging Biocontrol Agents: Mechanistic Insights into Nematicidal and Herbicidal Action.- 9. Endophytic Streptomyces spp.: Probiotics for Plant Health.- 10. Plant Growth Promoting Streptomycetes: Mechanisms and Applications.- 11. Plant Growth Promoting Streptomycetes: Production, Delivery System and Commercialization.- 12. Commercial biocontrol agents and biofertilizers from Streptomycetes.- 13. Applications of Streptomycetes-derived Nanoparticles.- 14. Extreme Environment Streptomycetes: Potential Sources for Novel Metabolites.- 15. Recent Advances in Streptomycetes Biotechnology for Agricultural Applications.- 16. Role of Genetic Engineering in Streptomycetes.

About the author

Dr. Talwinder Kaur
, Ph.D works as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India and has teaching experience of more than 8 years at the University and college level. She earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology from Department of Microbiology at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India. Her area of research is exploration of microbes especially, Streptomyces for their antimicrobial, biocontrol and plant growth promoting potential. She has participated in many national and International conferences. She has guided 24 M.Sc students for their project work. She is also a holder of 1 patent. Dr. Kaur has an M.Sc. in Fermentation and Microbial Technology and a B.Sc. in Industrial Microbiology.


Dr. Harsh Kumar
is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology at VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, Czechia. Dr. Kumar was formal postdoc fellow in the Centre of Advanced Technologies, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Králové, Czechia. He earned his Ph.D. in Food Technology from the School of Bioengineering and Food Technology at Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Himachal Pradesh, India. His work involves developing an electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of antibiotics/toxins in food items. In addition, Dr. Kumar also has expertise in the isolation and identification of multidrug-resistant bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus from diverse sources. Dr. Kumar has an M.Sc. in Microbiology and a B.Sc. in Industrial Microbiology.

Dr. Rajesh Kumari Manhas
(M.Sc., M.Phil., Ph.D.) is a retired Associate Professor, Microbiology, from Guru Nanak Dev University, India. She qualified National Level Test (conducted by CSIR) for the award of Junior and Senior Research Fellowships. She has received ten major research project grants from various funding agencies of Govt. of India like DST, UGC, ICAR, DBT, CSIR, and RUSA and a minor research project funded by GNDU. She has guided 7 students for the award of Ph.D. As a dedicated researcher, she has worked in the area of actinobacterial diversity and biotechnology, especially purification and characterization of novel antimicrobial compounds from Streptomyces active against drug resistant human pathogens and fungal phytopathoges, development of Streptomyces bioformulations for the protection of plants from phytopathogens, and improvement of plant growth. In addition to antimicrobial activities, she has also reported antioxidant, anticancerous and probiotic potential of bioactive compounds from Streptomyces spp. She has reported a new Streptomyces sp. (Streptomyces amritsarensis 2A) from Indian soil, and isolated two novel compounds from this novel sp., showing activity against drug resistant microbes.  She has nine MTCC microbial type culture collection contributions to her credit. 

Summary

This edited book offers a comprehensive exploration of the role that
Streptomyces
, a genus of actinobacteria, plays in sustainable agriculture. As the world grapples with the dual challenges of a growing population and environmental sustainability,
Streptomyces
emerges as a promising solution to enhance agricultural productivity while reducing reliance on harmful chemicals. This volume sheds new light on how Streptomyces can mitigate biotic and abiotic stresses, enhancing plant health and soil quality.


The chapters cover topics such as the diversity of
Streptomyces
species and their bioactive metabolites, and their applications as biocontrol agents against phytopathogens, insect pests, and plant-parasitic nematodes. The book delves into the mechanisms by which these bacteria promote plant growth, offering insights into their potential to revolutionize agricultural practices. The book discusses the latest advancements in utilizing Streptomycetes for sustainable food production, addressing critical questions about their role in future agricultural systems.


This volume is valuable for researchers, scholars, and practitioners in the fields of agriculture, microbiology, and environmental science. It invites readers to explore the intersection of microbial diversity and sustainable farming, providing insights that are crucial for developing innovative agricultural solutions. 

Product details

• Assisted by: Talwinder Kaur (Editor), Harsh Kumar (Editor), Rajesh Kumari Manhas (Editor), Rajesh Kumari Manhas (Editor)
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 03.05.2026
• EAN: 9789819558025
• ISBN: 978-981-9558-02-5
• Illustrations: Approx. 300 p. 45 illus., 25 illus. in color.
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Biology > Microbiology; Biotechnologie, Biochemie, Botanik und Pflanzenwissenschaften, Ökologie, Biosphäre, microbiology, Sustainable agriculture, Plant Biochemistry, Industrial Microbiology, Microbial Ecology, plant pathogens, Biocontrol, Biopesticides, Streptomyces, Plant Growth Promoting Agents