Contents: Foreword. Preface. 1. Impact of soil biodiversity on soil health and its sustainability/K. Natarajan, P. Stalin and B. Chandrasekaran. 2. Biodiversity of salt lands and some issues related to their rehabilitation/J.C. Dagar and P.S. Minhas. 3. Influence of land resources on the agro biodiversity in Tamil Nadu/S. Vadivelu, S.C. Ramesh Kumar, A. Natarajan and M. Ramesh. 4. Integrated nutrient management for meeting challenges of food security and quality/A. Subba Rao and D. Damodar Reddy. 5. Resource conservation technologies in rice-wheat cropping system/S.K. Sharma, M.L. Jat and K.K. Singh. 6. Production potential and economic analysis of sole and intercropped sugarcane as influenced by nutrient management strategies/T.R. Rupa and V. Sudhahar. 7. Biodiversity of weeds in the rice ecosystems/V. Chellamuthu and R. Poonguzhalan. 8. Human resource development in soil resource management/T. Balaguru. 9. Biodiversity of bacterial diazotrophs in rice ecosystem/K. Kumar and S. Kannaiyan. 10. Genetic diversity of Rhizobium/D. Balachandar and S. Kannaiyan. 11. Diversity in Cyanobacteria/G. Gopalaswamy. 12. Diversity of microflora occurring in rice/K. Singaravadivel. 13. Micorrhizal biodiversity in tropical tuber crops/V.P. Potty. 14. Biodiversity of am-fungi in coastal soils of Tamil Nadu in selected crops/P. Tholkappian and K. Muthuselvam. 15. Diversity in microbial system in hill area crops/G. Selvakumar, S. Kundu and H.S. Gupta. 16. Microbial diversity in ethnic fermented foods of the Eastern Himalayas/Jyoti Prakash Tamang. 17. Symbiotic fungi and medicinal plants--their nano-biotechnological approach/Harsha Kharkwal, Amit Kharkwal, V.S. Bisaria and Ajit Varma. 18. Diversity in agaricus spp and production technology for button mushroom/B.L. Dhar. 19. Diversity and cultivation of auricularias and ganodermas of Uttaranchal/R.P. Singh and K.K. Mishra. 20. Diversity and medicinal values of the mushroom reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)/R.D. Rai. 21. Ringspot virus: a deadly disease of Papaya/S. Chowdhury, K. Singh and N.V. Kumbhare. 22. Impact of watershed development programme on land resource conservation and enhancing agro biodiversity in Karnataka/S.C. Ramesh Kumar, R.S. Reddy, L.G.K. Naidu, P. Krishnan and S. Vadivelu.    

"Considering the Agro-biodiversity as one of the richest national resource in country's economy, strategic attempt for conforming unforeseen vagaries of climate and building block for developing varieties of plants and animal species with multi-utility dimensions, it is much needed option for developing a suitable knowledge base. It is estimated that about three quarters of genetics diversity of agricultural crops was lost in the preceding century. Out of 6300 animal species, 1350 are considered endangered and in extinction. Forest dwellers, fishermen, herders and farmers and maintaining the diversity by selecting plants and animals to meet the current environmental conditions and food requirements. Under these premises, National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai organized a National Conference on Agro-Biodiversity in Chennai from February 12-17, 2006. Researchers, academicians, policy planners, and administrators presented their view point on current status and future prospects of taking advantage of this resource. This vicarious knowledge resource will have high exploitation value for protecting and conserving the dwindling wealth, the country can boost of. The proceedings of this conference are brought out in three distinct volumes.

Volume II deals with soil resources and microbial diversity which include soil biodiversity and sustainability parameters, rehabilitation options of salt lands, land resource planning, nutrient management, conservation technologies, management of biodiversity of microbes and weeds, biodiversity of Rhizobium and microflora and other related topics."