Plant microbiome in agro-ecosystem: A sustainable approach

Endophytic microbiome have been found in almost every plant studied, where they colonize the interior tissues of their host plant and may form a range of diverse associations including interdependent, synergistic, mutualistic, commensalistic and trophobiotic. Most endophytic microbes appear to originate from the rhizosphere or phyllosphere; however, some may be transmitted through the seed. Potential endophytic microbiome can encourage and stimulate plant growth and produce and can also act as biocontrol agents. On the other hand, these endophytes can also be valuable to their host plant by producing a wide range of natural products that could be utilized for possible use in medication, agronomy or commerce. Furthermore, it has been revealed that they too have the potential to remove soil contaminants by enhancing phytoremediation process and could play a significant role in soil fertility improvement through nitrogen fixation and phosphate solubilization. There is an increasing interest in developing the biotechnological applications of potential endophytes for improving crop growth, phytoremediation and the sustainable production of food crops for biomass and biofuel production, which is a viable step towards sustainable agriculture.