Plant-microbe interactions can be either beneficial or harmful depending on the nature of the interaction. Multifaceted benefits of plant-associated microbes in crops are well documented. Specifically, the management of plant diseases using beneficial microbes is considered to be eco-friendly and the best alternative for sustainable agriculture. Diseases caused by various phytopathogens are responsible for a significant reduction in crop yield and cause substantial economic losses globally. In an ecosystem, there is always an equally daunting challenge for the establishment of disease and development of resistance by pathogens and plants, respectively. In particular, comprehending the complete view of the complex biological systems of plant-pathogen interactions, co-evolution and plant growth promotions (PGP) at both genetic and molecular levels requires novel approaches to decipher the function of genes involved in their interaction. The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 (CRISPR-associated protein 9) is a fast, emerging, precise, ecofriendly and efficient tool to address the challenges in agriculture and decipher plant-microbe interaction in crops. Nowadays, the CRISPR/Cas9 approach is receiving major attention in the field of functional genomics and crop improvement. Consequently, the present review updates the prevailing knowledge in the deployment of CRISPR/Cas9 techniques to understand plant-microbe interactions, genes edited for the development of fungal, bacterial and viral disease resistance, to elucidate the nodulation processes, plant growth promotion, and future implications in agriculture. Further, CRISPR/Cas9 would be a new tool for the management of plant diseases and increasing productivity for climate resilience farming.

• Diazotrophic bacteria were screened and characterized from long-term organic rice fields of Sikkim • Screened the diazotrophic bacteria for nitrogen fixing ability and plant growth promoting traits • Enterobacter was commonly found in paddy soils of Sikkim • Enterobacter species were significantly enhanced the above and below ground responses in rice plants

Sheath rot is one of the most devastating diseases of rice because of its ability to reduce the yield significantly in all rice cultivating areas of the world (Bigirimana et al., 2015). Sheath rot ...