This book sheds new light on ways to alleviate biotic and abiotic stress in plants, using signaling molecules of plant growth promotory rhizobacteria. Further, it elaborates on the different types of stress and strategies used by plants under various stress conditions. 
The respective sections describe the importance of the microbiome for the overall health of plants and how exploring plant-microbe communication and signaling pathways could offer a promising avenue for future research. The book also discusses how rhizobacteria could be exploited in stress alleviation and sustainable agriculture, and addresses omics strategies for stress response and mitigation. Thanks to clearly annotated references, the book also supports and encourages readers to further explore the topics discussed.

Dr Anita Sharma is presently working as a Professor at the Department of Microbiology, GBPUA&T, Pantnagar. She is an alumnus of Pant Nagar University and obtained her M.Sc. degree in 1981 in Microbiology with a minor in Biochemistry. She has been a recipient of merit scholarships throughout her academic career. She obtained her PhD from BHU in 1990. She was awarded a two-year CSIR Fellowship for her project on Nitrogen Fixation by Cyanobacteria, after which she explored plant growth promotory Rhizobacteria in a DBT-funded project at the Department of Microbiology, Pantnagar. She joined the Department of Microbiology, Gurukul Kangri University, in 1997, and took on her current position at the Department of Microbiology, Pantnagar, in 1999. 
Her main research interests are in plant-microbe interaction and biodegradation; in this regard, she has worked as PI for three projects and Co-PI in more than 10 projects including one INDO SWISS project. Her most recent focus is on soil metagenomics under the influence of nanocompounds and pesticides. She has published more than 60 papers in national and international journals, book chapters and research articles. She has also edited one book: Microbial Biotechnology for Environmental Cleanup. She has presented her work at various national and international conferences, and is a life member of the AMI (Association of Microbiologist of India) and member of several other societies. She has served as Coordinator of the Women Empowerment Cell, Faculty Secretary for the College of Basic Science and Humanities, and as a member of the Universitys Academic Council.

Chapter 1. Rhizospheric engineering for sustainable agriculture.- Chapter 2. Stress alleviation in plants using sar and isr: current views on stress signalling network.- Chapter 3. Plant microbe interaction: a sustainable strategy to elevate salinity tolerance in plants.- Chapter 4.  Concepts and application of plant-microbe interaction in remediation of heavy metals.- Chapter 5. Abiotic stress: its outcome and tolerance in plants.- Chapter 6. Physiological and molecular aspects of retrieving environmental stress in plants by microbial interactions.- Chapter 7. Plant-microbe interactions: an insight into the underlying mechanisms to mitigate diverse environmental stresses. Chapter 8. Omics technology: role and future in providing biotic and abiotic stress tolerance to plants. Chapter 9. Role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in amelioration of drought stress in crop plants. Chapter 10. Drought stress tolerance: an insight to resistance mechanismand adaptation in plants. Chapter 11. Phytoremediation: a synergistic interaction betweenplants and microbes for removal of unwanted chemicals/contaminants. Chapter 12. Involvement of synergistic interactions between plants and rhizospheric microbes for the removal of toxic /hazardous contaminants.- Chapter 13. Understanding the role of microbes and plants in the management of heavy metal stress: a current perspective. Chapter 14. Ros signalling under oxidative stress in plants.- Chapter 15. Bacterial antagonists effective against soil borne and foliar pathogens.