Fungi range from being microscopic, single-celled yeasts to multicellular and heterotrophic in nature. Fungal communities have been found in vast ranges of environmental conditions. They can be associated with plants epiphytically, endophytically, or rhizospherically. Extreme environments represent unique ecosystems that harbor novel biodiversity of fungal communities. Interest in the exploration of fungal diversity has been spurred by the fact that fungi perform numerous functions integral in sustaining the biosphere, ranging from nutrient cycling to environmental detoxification, which involves processes like augmentation, supplementation, and recycling of plant nutrients--a particularly important process in sustainable agriculture. Fungal communities from natural and extreme habitats help promote plant growth, enhance crop yield, and soil fertility via direct or indirect plant growth promoting (PGP) mechanisms of solubilization of phosphorus, potassium, and zinc, production of ammonia, hydrogen cyanides, phytohormones, Fe-chelating compounds, extracellular hydrolytic enzymes, and bioactive secondary metabolites. These PGP fungi could be used as biofertilizers, bioinoculants, and biocontrol agents in place of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in eco-friendly manners for sustainable agriculture and environments. Along with agricultural applications, medically important fungi play significant role for human health. Fungal communities are useful for sustainable environments as they are used for bioremediation which is the use of microorganisms' metabolism to degrading waste contaminants (sewage, domestic, and industrial effluents) into non-toxic or less toxic materials by natural biological processes. Fungi could be used as mycoremediation for the future of environmental sustainability. Fungi and fungal products have the biochemical and ecological capability to degrade environmental organic chemicals and to decrease the risk associated with metals, semi-metals, and noble metals either by chemical modification or by manipulating chemical bioavailability. The two volumes of "Recent Trends in Mycological Research” aim to provide an understanding of fungal communities from diverse environmental habitats and their potential applications in agriculture, medical, environments and industry. The books are useful to scientists, researchers, and students involved in microbiology, biotechnology, agriculture, molecular biology, environmental biology and related subjects.

This book encompasses current knowledge of soil microbiomes and their potential biotechnological application for plant growth, crop yield, and soil health under the natural as well as harsh environmental conditions for sustainable agriculture. The microbes are ubiquitous in nature. The soil is a natural hotspot of the soil microbiome. The soil microbiome plays a critical role in the maintenance of global nutrient balance and ecosystem functioning. The soil microbiomes are associated with plant ecosystems through the intense network of plant–microbe interactions. The microbes present in bulk soil move toward the rhizospheric region due to the release of different nutrients by plant systems. The rhizospheric microbes may survive or proliferate in rhizospheric zone depending on the extent of influences of the chemicals secreted into the soil by roots. The root exudates contain the principal nutrients factors (amino acids, glucose, fructose, and sucrose). The microbes present in rhizospheric region have capabilities to fix atmospheric nitrogen, produce different phytohormones, and solubilize phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. The plant systems take these nutrients for their growth and developments. These soil and plant associated microbes also play an important role in protection of plants from different plant pathogenic organisms by producing different secondary metabolites such as ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, siderophores, and hydrolytic enzymes. The soil microbiomes with plant growth-promoting (PGP) attributes have emerged as an important and promising tool for sustainable agriculture. The soil microbiomes promote the plant growth and enhance the crop yield and soil fertility via directly or indirectly different plant growth-promoting mechanism. The soil microbes help the plant for adaptation in extreme habitats by mitigating the abiotic stress of high/low temperatures, hypersalinity, drought, and acidic/alkaline soil. These PGP microbes are used as biofertilizers/bioinoculants to replace the harmful chemical fertilizers for sustainable agriculture and environments. The aim of the book “Soil Microbiomes for Sustainable Agriculture” is to provide the recent advances in mechanisms of plant growth promotion and applications of soil microbiomes for mitigation of different abiotic stresses in plants. The book is useful to scientists, researchers, and students related to microbiology, biotechnology, agriculture, molecular biology, environmental biology, and related subjects.

Fungi are an essential, fascinating and biotechnologically useful group of organisms with an incredible biotechnological potential for industrial exploitation. Knowledge of the world’s fungal diversity and its use is still incomplete and fragmented. There are many opportunities to accelerate the process of filling knowledge gaps in these areas. The worldwide interest of the current era is to increase the tendency to use natural substances instead of synthetic ones. The increasing urge in society for natural ingredients has compelled biotechnologists to explore novel bioresources which can be exploited in industrial sector. Fungi, due to their unique attributes and broad range of their biological activities hold great promises for their application in biotechnology and industry. Fungi are an efficient source of antioxidants, enzymes, pigments, and many other secondary metabolites. The large scale production of fungal pigments and their utility provides natural coloration without creating harmful effects on entering the environment, a safer alternative use to synthetic colorants. The fungal enzymes can be exploited in wide range of industries such as food, detergent, paper, and also for removal toxic waste. This book will serve as valuable source of information as well as will provide new directions to researchers to conduct novel research in field of mycology. Volume 2 of “Industrially Important Fungi for Sustainable Development” provides an overview to understanding bioprospecting of fungal biomolecules and their industrial application for future sustainability. It encompasses current advanced knowledge of fungal communities and their potential biotechnological applications in industry and allied sectors. The book will be useful to scientists, researchers, and students of microbiology, biotechnology, agriculture, molecular biology, and environmental biology.

Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials in the Agri-Food Industries: Smart Nanoarchitectures, Technologies, Challenges, and Applications brings together the latest advances in the utilization of advances nanotechnology, nanoarchitectures, and nanomaterials in the agricultural and food sectors. The book begins by discussing recent trends towards sustainable synthesis and application, covering green nanomaterials and biodegradable nanomaterials and composites. Subsequent chapters focus on key application areas of engineered nanomaterials in both agriculture and food processing, such as crop production and protection, delivery vehicles, detection of contaminants, nanobionic and genetic engineering in plants, active food packaging and preservation, enhanced food formulations and nutrients, nanoscale additives for freshness, and nanosensors. This is followed by a section that addresses key challenges relating to the application of nanostructures and nanodevices in these sectors, including global market considerations, health and environmental concerns, and intellectual property and socio-economic issues. Finally, policy implications and future perspective for the field are reviewed in detail. - Presents cutting-edge applications of nanotechnology across agriculture and food processing - Highlights the latest developments in green or biodegradable nanomaterials for increased sustainability - Considers key challenges relating to market, health and environment, regulations and policy

Myconanotechnology and Application of Nanoparticles in Biology: Fundamental Concepts, Mechanism and Industrial Applications focuses on the emergence of myconanotechnology as a new science for the synthesis of nanoparticles using fungi and considering future applications and challenges. The book demonstrates why mycology should be regarded as a megascience: A subject requiring international collaboration to overcome barriers that need to be confronted in the interests of global security and human well-being. This reference provides a good source of knowledge and guidelines for advanced graduate students and will be of significant interest to scientists working on the basic issues surrounding applications of myconanotechnology. - Highlights established specific applications of myconanotechnology in various industrial sectors and discusses future research directions - Provides academic and industry a high-tech start-up that will revolutionize modern industrial practices - Offers a comprehensive coverage on myconanotechnology including real-time case studies - Focuses on the emergence of myconanotechnology as a new science for the synthesis of nanoparticles by using fungi - Carries out an in-depth and step-by-step description of knowledge on myco-nanotechnology, current research trends, opportunities and their involvement in modern society

The current volume focuses on all the major concerns associated with the biofungicides and provides comprehensive knowledge of microbial and phytochemical fungicides, bioformulations, regulation as well as limitation of biofungicides, and their role in disease management in plants. The use of biofungicides as eco-friendly alternative to traditional synthetic fungicides is likely to play a major role in organic farming in the future.