Streptomyces as Mitigators of Biotic and Abiotic Stress
摘要
Rapid globalization has significantly increased the frequency of biotic and abiotic stresses, severely impacting plant growth, crop yields, and food quality, thereby posing risks to global food security. Soil microbial communities, particularly Streptomyces, a diverse group of Gram-positive filamentous bacteria, have emerged as promising eco-friendly biocontrol agents that enhance plant resilience through multiple mechanisms. This chapter explores the critical role of Streptomycetes in mitigating both biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. These bacteria promote plant growth by helping in nutrient uptake, disease suppression, and stress tolerance under drought, salinity, and heavy metal stress conditions through the production of variety of stress-protective metabolites such as phytohormones, vitamins, enzymes, and antimicrobial compounds. Although individual Streptomyces strains enhance plant growth, but utilizing microbial consortia presents a more comprehensive approach to abiotic stress management. The capacity of Streptomyces to suppress phytopathogens through the production of antibiotics, antifungal compounds, and enzymes is also explored. This chapter further delves into the mechanism of action underlying the protective interactions and induction of systemic resistance in plants, thereby helping to regulate the rhizosphere microbiome. The synergistic interactions among different Streptomyces strains contribute to osmolyte production, ion homeostasis, and antioxidative defense, fostering plant resilience under harsh environmental conditions. Further, this chapter addresses the wide range of applications of Streptomycetes spp. in sustainable agriculture and associated challenges that must be overcome for successful field implementation.