Beneficial Soil Microorganisms in Enhancing Crop Productivity: A Review
Neha Bisht
Department of Agriculture, Haridwar University, Roorkee (Uttarakhand), India.
Rohit Gangwar *
Department of Agriculture, Haridwar University, Roorkee (Uttarakhand), India.
Prajwal Chaudhary
Department of Agriculture, Haridwar University, Roorkee (Uttarakhand), India.
Sweta Kumari
Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut (U.P.), India.
Shivani Chaudhary
Department of Plant Pathology, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Modipuram, Meerut (U.P.), India.
Anurag Raj
Department of Agriculture, Haridwar University, Roorkee (Uttarakhand), India.
Deepak Kumar
Ganna Utpadak (P.G.) College, Baheri, Bareilly (U.P.), India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
As the world's population grows, there is a greater need for food, which has made sustainable methods necessary to boost agricultural yields while preserving the environment. Rhizobacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, and actinomycetes are examples of beneficial soil microorganisms that are essential for increasing soil fertility, encouraging plant development, and strengthening crop resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. The several molecular approaches utilized to characterize these microbes are highlighted in this study, with an emphasis on cutting-edge methods including arrays, stable isotopes, DNA-based molecular identification, integrated omics, etc. It also highlights the ways in which beneficial bacteria increase agricultural yield, such as through phosphate solubilization, nitrogen fixation, phytohormone synthesis, and disease reduction via biocontrol. One sustainable way to lower chemical input and lessen environmental issues is to use beneficial soil microorganisms into precision farming and the creation of biofertilizer. This article offers a thorough grasp of molecular characterisation methods and how to use them to increase crop output by using soil microbial diversity, opening the door to sustainable farming methods.
Keywords: Rhizobacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, actinomycetes, biocontrol, biofertilizer