List of 12 Best Books for Agriculture and Soil Microbiology
1. Plant Pathology
Author: by George N. Agrios (Author)
This fifth edition of the classic textbook in plant pathology outlines how to recognize, treat, and prevent plant diseases. It provides extensive coverage of abiotic, fungal, viral, bacterial, nematode and other plant diseases and their associated epidemiology. It also covers the genetics of resistance and modern management on plant disease.
Plant Pathology, Fifth Edition, is the most comprehensive resource and textbook that professionals, faculty and students can consult for well-organized, essential information. This thoroughly revised edition is 45% larger, covering new discoveries and developments in plant pathology and enhanced by hundreds of new color photographs and illustrations.
2. Plant Disease Management
Author: by R. S. Singh (Author)
The updated tenth edition includes up-to-date references. Although the book mainly describes diseases of field crops, a number of vegetable crop diseases are also included. A major addition to the text is inclusion of biological control measures for most diseases and expansion of the information about phanerogamic plant parasites. Appended list of references at end of each chapter is exhaustive and may be of use to those pursuing research on specific diseases. In this edition Multiple Choice Questions have been included for the benefit of the readers.
3. Molecular Biotechnology: Principles and Applications of Recombinant DNA (ASM Books)
Author: by Bernard R. Glick (Author), Cheryl L. Patten (Author)
Since 1994, Molecular Biotechnology: Principles and Applications of Recombinant DNA has introduced students to the fast-changing world of molecular biotechnology. With each revision, the authors have extensively updated the book to keep pace with the many new techniques in gene isolation and amplification, nucleic acid synthesis and sequencing, gene editing, and their applications to biotechnology. In this edition, authors Bernard R. Glick and Cheryl L. Patten have continued that tradition, but have also overhauled the book’s organization to
- Detail fundamental molecular biology methods and recombinant protein engineering techniques, which provides students with a solid scientific basis for the rest of the book.
- Present the processes of molecular biotechnology and its successes in medicine, bioremediation, raw material production, biofuels, and agriculture.
- Examine the intersection of molecular biotechnology and society, including regulation, patents, and controversies around genetically modified products.
Filled with engaging figures that strongly support the explanations in the text, Molecular Biotechnology: Principles and Applications of Recombinant DNA presents difficult scientific concepts and technically challenging methods in clear, crisp prose.
This excellent textbook is ideal for undergraduate and graduate courses in introductory biotechnology, as well as, courses dedicated to medical, agricultural, environmental, and industrial biotechnology applications.
4. Microbial Ecology: Fundamentals and Applications
Author: by Ronald M. Atlas (Author), Richard Bartha (Author)
533p grey hardback with illustrated laminated cover, from a Cambridge college library with stickers and stamps, pages clean with suggested reading and index, very good
5. Environmental Microbiology
Author: by Ian L. Pepper (Editor), Charles P. Gerba (Editor), Terry J. Gentry (Editor)
Designed for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and environmental professionals, this book builds upon the tremendous success of the previous editions with a comprehensive and up to date discussion of environmental microbiology as a discipline that has greatly expanded in scope and interest over the past several decades. From terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to urban and indoor environments, this edition relates environmental microbiology to a variety of life science, ecology, and environmental science topics including biogeochemical cycling, bioremediation, environmental transmission of pathogens, microbial risk assessment, and drinking water treatment and reuse. The final chapter highlights several emerging issues including microbial remediation of marine oil spills, microbial contributions to global warming, impact of climate change on microbial infectious disease, and the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
- Presents state of the art research results with key, recent references to document information
- Emphasizes critical information using “Information Boxes” throughout
- Includes real world case studies to illustrate concepts, along with frequent use of graphics, cartoons and photographs
- Offers questions at the end of each chapter designed to test key concepts
- Lecture slides available for instructors online
6. Microbial Ecology
Author: by Larry L. Barton (Author), Diana E. Northup (Author)
This book covers the ecological activities of microbes in the biosphere with an emphasis on microbial interactions within their environments and communities
In thirteen concise and timely chapters, Microbial Ecology presents a broad overview of this rapidly growing field, explaining the basic principles in an easy-to-follow manner. Using an integrative approach, it comprehensively covers traditional issues in ecology as well as cutting-edge content at the intersection of ecology, microbiology, environmental science and engineering, and molecular biology.
Examining the microbial characteristics that enable microbes to grow in different environments, the book provides insights into relevant methodologies for characterization of microorganisms in the environment. The authors draw upon their extensive experience in teaching microbiology to address the latest hot-button topics in the field, such as:
- Ecology of microorganisms in natural and engineered environments
- Advances in molecular-based understanding of microbial phylogeny and interactions
- Microbially driven biogeochemical processes and interactions among microbial populations and communities
- Microbial activities in extreme or unusual environments
- Ecological studies pertaining to animal, plant, and insect microbiology
- Microbial processes and interactions associated with environmental pollution
Designed for use in teaching, Microbial Ecology offers numerous special features to aid both students and instructors, including:
- Information boxes that highlight key microbial ecology issues
- “Microbial Spotlights” that focus on how prominent microbial ecologists became interested in microbial ecology
- Examples that illustrate the role of bacterial interaction with humans
- Exercises to promote critical thinking
- Selected reading lists
- Chapter summaries and review questions for class discussion
Various microbial interactions and community structures are presented through examples and illustrations. Also included are mini case studies that address activities of microorganisms in specific environments, as well as a glossary and key words. All these features make this an ideal textbook for graduate or upper-level undergraduate students in biology, microbiology, ecology, or environmental science. It also serves as a highly useful reference for scientists and environmental professionals.
7. Microbial Ecology (Basic Microbiology) by CAMPBELL
8. Introduction to Soil Microbiology
Author: by Mark Coyne (Author)
Soil Microbiology is a user-friendly introduction to the incredible world of soil microbiology. The microscopic life in soil influences virtually everything in our lives from the water we drink, the food we eat, to the air we breathe. Understanding something about the life in soil, appreciating the things that these life forms do, and seeing how these activities influence our world is the goal of this textbook. This is a book you can actually read and comprehend with a minimum exposure to soil science or microbiology. It’s appropriate for advanced high school students and college students just embarking on the study of environmental science. The textbook describes the life in soil in numerous short chapters that explain the basic concepts of soil microbiology in simple terms. Soil Microbiology is full of pictures that illustrate each chapter’s content, and it takes the reader through graphs and figures that a soil microbiologist would be interpreting every day. For almost every topic, the textbook provides a brief description of the procedures by which that information was obtained. The questions at the end of each chapter not only test the reader’s general knowledge, but also stimulate them to think in broader, more abstract terms. Each chapter also has questions that help the reader use the math skills a typical soil microbiologist might use. Three large appendixes provide the reader with a glossary of common soil microbiology terms, a complete list and pronunciation guide of all the microorganisms listed in the textbook, and a time line that puts some of the events in soil microbiology into historical perspective.
9. Agricultural Biotechnology (Books in Soils, Plants, and the Environment)
Author: by Arie Altman (Author)
This work integrates basic biotechnological methodologies with up-to-date agricultural practices, offering solutions to specific agricultural needs and problems from plant and crop yield to animal husbandry. It presents and evaluates the limitations of classical methodologies and the potential of novel and emergent agriculturally related biotechnologies.
10. Handbook of Microbial Biofertilizers
Author: by Mahendra Rai (Editor)
Sharply focused, up-to-date information on microbial biofertilizers—including emerging options such as Piriformospora indica and Matsutake
The Handbook of Microbial Biofertilizers provides in-depth coverage of all major microbial biofertilizers (rhizobia, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and cyanobacteriaas well as new and emerging growth promoters (endophytes). It examines the role of microbes in growth promotion, bioprotectors, and bioremidiators, and presents protocols and practical strategies for using microbes in sustainable agriculture. An abundance of helpful charts, tables, and figures make complex information easy to access and understand.
In this first-of-its-kind volume, contributors from 11 countries and several continents address important issues surrounding microbial biofertilizers, including:
- the rhizobium-host-arbuscular mycorrhizal tripartite relationship
- mycorrhiza as a disease suppresser and stress reducer
- mycorrhiza helping bacteria
- the impact of functional groups of soil microorganisms on nutrient turnover
- PBPRs as biofertilizers and biopesticides
- the potential of wild-legume rhizobia for use as a biofertilizers
- the expanding role of blue-green algae in sustainable agriculture
- the role of microbial fertilizers in sustainable plant production
- new and emerging endophytes
- the commercial potential of biofertilizers
In this young century, the use of biofertilizers is already growing rapidly. It has been recognized that these environment-friendly bioprotectors, growth boosters, and remediators are essential for soil/plant health. The Handbook of Microbial Biofertilizers is designed to fit the expanding information needs of current and future biotechnologists, microbiologists, botanists, agronomists, environmentalists, and others whose work involves sustained agriculture.
11. Bioinoculants for sustainable agriculture and forestry: Proceedings of national symposium
Author: by S.M. Reddy (Author), Ram Reddy (Author), S. Girisham (Author)
12. Development of Bioinsecticide
Author: by Faiza Saleem (Author), Abdul Rauf Shakoori (Author)
Synthetic insecticides has long been involved in causing fetal diseases to human beings as well as cattle. Importance of biological control of insect pests is aan environment friendly approach. With advances in biotechnology, recombinant bacteria and other organisms are being developed for better control of insect pests. Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) holds a central place among biocontrol agents. BT produces parasporal crystal proteins (Cry toxin) during sporulation phase of its growth. These toxins have defined spectra of toxicity to the target insects only, without doing any harm to friend insects. More than 260 Cry toxins have been reported so far. Of which Cry2 is toxic to lepidopteran as well as dipteran insects. When enters the insect midgut, the toxin gets activated by proteases present in the insect midgut, make holes in the gut, as a result insect loses homeostasis and eventually die without feeding.