Soil Bacteria-Medicinal Plants Interaction

Abstract

Regulation of biogeochemical cycles depends on soil micro biota in which<br>numerous and distinct types of bacteria are involved. These bacteria share a common<br>environment in the soil and interact with the plants at three different levels i.e.<br>endosphere, phyllosphere, and rhizosphere, resulting in improved soil fertility and plant<br>health. The study of medicinal plants is ignored in Pakistan, though there exists a large<br>number of different avenues for research in this field. Studying the medicinal plantbacteria<br>relationships in the era of new-generation sequencing paves new ways for<br>understanding their association and facilitates improvement in sustainable production.<br>Answers to new queries like “How bacteria respond to climatic changes” and “How do<br>they interact with one another and with medicinal plants for growth and development”<br>along with the exploration of rhizospheric bacteria in the future for enhancement in the<br>production of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants might be a new vista unlocked<br>for the sustainable agricultural practices. In this chapter, we focused on the role of soil<br>bacteria-medicinal plants interaction in growth, nutrient acquisition, environmental<br>stress alleviation, and quantity and quality of medicinal compounds present in these<br>plants.<br><br>