Microbes as Biofertilizers, a Potential Approach for Sustainable Crop Production

Abstract

Continuous decline of earth’s natural resources and increased use of hazardous chemical fertilizers pose a great concern for the future of agriculture. Biofertilizers are a promising alternative to hazardous chemical fertilizers and are gaining importance for attaining sustainable agriculture. Biofertilizers play a key role in increasing crop yield and maintaining long-term soil fertility, which is essential for meeting global food demand. Microbes can interact with the crop plants and enhance their immunity, growth, and development. Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, and silica are the essential nutrients required for the proper growth of crops, but these nutrients are naturally present in insolubilized or complex forms. Certain microorganisms render them soluble and make them available to the plants. The potential microbes, their mode of action, along with their effect on crops, are discussed in this review. Biofertilizers, being cost effective, non-toxic, and eco-friendly, serve as a good substitute for expensive and harmful chemical fertilizers. The knowledge gained from this review can help us to understand the importance of microbes in agriculture and the ways to formulate these microbes as biofertilizers for sustainable crop production.

Psychrotolerant Mesorhizobium sp. Isolated from Temperate and Cold Desert Regions Solubilizes Potassium and Produces Multiple Plant Growth Promoting Metabolites

“…Studies have also shown that different species of KSB exist in the soil and play a vital role in the K cycle [ 42 , 43 ]. Potassium solubilizing bacteria (KSB) are involved in the natural potassium cycle, and therefore, the presence of KSB in the soil makes potassium available for uptake by plants [ 22 , 44 ]. However, few studies on KSB isolation from the cold regions are available in the literature, and the isolates of the present study were cold tolerant for their adaptation of surviving and functioning under cold climatic conditions.…”

“…Among these soil born PGPB, some bacterial candidates have played an influential role in releasing various essential macro and micronutrients from the minerals in large enough quantities to sustain crop growth. Potassium solubilizing bacteria is one such group of mineral solubilizers that have been reported to release K in its available form from K-bearing minerals such as illite, mica, feldspars, etc., by excreting various organic acids that directly dissolve minerals or chelate silicon ions to release K [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. An array of such bacteria, such as Bacillus sp.…”

Sustaining Rice Production through Biofertilization with N2-Fixing Cyanobacteria

“…From a commercial point of view, there is little information regarding commercial byproducts or biofertilizers based on cyanobacterial formulations. Biofertilizers are costeffective, non-toxic, and easy to apply [36]. If that were the case for cyanobacterial biofertilizers, their use would not only reduce production costs, but would also provide ecosystem goods and services and ensure a more sustainable agricultural system.…”

Response of soybean crop with different combinations of seed treatment and application of nitrogen, cobalt, and molybdenum topdressing

“…The use of these bacteria in the composition of commercial agricultural inoculants is an efficient way to increase agricultural production, which guarantees productivity to supply the growing demand for food and also the need to reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers, thus, promoting sustainable agriculture (Nosheen et al, 2021). According to Hungria et al (2006), the main Fabaceae commercially planted in Brazil, totally free of nitrogen fertilization, under normal growing conditions, can be supplied with the N requirements of the crop by BNF.…”