Executive Summary : | Macro-organisms such as plants form close interactions with microbes, which together can be considered as meta-organisms or holobionts (Wang et al., 2020). Bacteria, viruses, fungi, protista and archaea that are closely associated with plants are often referred to as the “second genome”. Different plant parts such as leaves, roots, stems, fruits, flowers and seeds, can all be colonized, potentially by various microorganisms (Berg et al., 2014). Microbes can be found on the outside of plants as epiphytes, as well as inside plant tissue as endophytes (Turner et al., 2013). With the advancement of new sequencing tools over the last few years, the composition and possible function of these microbes, which collectively form the microbiome, associated with plants has drawn much interest (Müller et al., 2016). Microbes associated with plants have received a lot of attention recently because they can form beneficial, neutral, or harmful interactions with their host plants of varied degrees of intimacy (Berg et al., 2014). Rice is one of the most significant food crops, providing nourishment to almost half of the world's population. With current rice consumption trends, the world's population could reach 4.6 billion people by 2025, necessitating a 20% increase in rice output to meet demand. Still, the practice of adding synthetic compounds to crops is the primary source of crop improvement in the agricultural sector. This action is harmful to the environment, as well to human and livestock health. The bio-fertilizers consist of non-pathogenic microorganisms; this peculiarity in nature aids in the development of sustainable agriculture and the conservation of the environment from chemical threats (Ali et al., 2021).
Rice plants are colonized by complex microbial communities that play vital role in plant growth and development (Wang et al., 2016). Bacteria and fungi known as endophytes invade plant tissues intracellularly or intercellularly without causing any harm to plant (Jimtha et al., 2014). They colonize plant tissues in general and can create a variety of relationships, including mutualistic, commensalistic, and symbiotic ones. Some of the mechanisms involved in boosting plant growth include the synthesis of phytohormones, nitrogen fixation, exopolysaccharides, enzymes such as ACC deaminase and enhancing the availability of mineral elements (Eid et al., 2021). In addition, endophytes play an important role in phytopathogen biocontrol by producing antimicrobial compounds, siderophores, nutrition competition, and inducing systemic-acquired host resistance (Thakur et al., 2020; Eid et al., 2021). Plant microbiome manipulation has the potential to minimize plant disease, boost agricultural production, reduce chemical inputs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in more sustainable farming practices (Turner et al., 2013). The plant microbiome must be deciphered in order to find microbes that can be used to improve plant growth and health. |