Advances in microbial based bio-inoculum for amelioration of soil health and sustainable crop production

Samantaray et al., 2024

The adoption of sustainable agricultural practices is increasingly imperative in addressing global food security and environmental concerns, with microbial based bio-inoculums emerging as a promising approach for nurturing soil health and fostering sustainable crop production.This review article explores the potential of microbial based bio-inoculumsor biofertilizers as a transformative approach to enhance plant disease resistance and growth. It explores the commercial prospects of biofertilizers, highlighting their role in addressing environmental concerns associated with conventional fertilizers while meeting the growing demand for eco-friendly agricultural practices. Additionally, this review discusses the future prospects of biofertilizers, emphasizing the ongoing advancements in biotechnology and formulation techniques that are expected to enhance their efficacy and applicability. Furthermore, this article provides insights into strategies for the successful acceptance of biofertilizers among farmers, including the importance of quality control, assurance, and education initiatives to raise awareness about their benefits and overcome barriers to adoption. By synthesizing the current research findings and industrial developments, this review offers valuable guidance for stakeholders seeking to exploit the potential of biofertilizers or beneficial microbes to promote soil health, ensure sustainable crop production, and addressing the challenges of modern agriculture.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666517424000336

Mutualism provides a basis for biodiversity in eco-evolutionary community assembly

Gui Araujo,Miguel Lurgi

Ecological communities are considerably more complex than simple collections of species sharing the same environment. The large number of ecological interactions among species drives changes in populations through time that dictate the persistence of the entire community. Most research into the mechanisms of biodiversity considers different interaction types (mutualism, competition, consumer-resource) in isolation in either ecological or evolutionary contexts. In this study, we developed a community growth model that incorporates mutualism, competition, and consumer-resource interactions and considers both ecological and evolutionary mechanisms of assembly together. We found that communities formed via evolutionary speciation can reach higher species richness and exhibit greater proportions of mutualistic interactions than purely ecological models, resulting in more complex community structures. High levels of mutualism lead to communities more resilient to disturbances, such as the arrival of new species or sudden changes in abundances. Our research extends previous efforts by aiming to understand how evolutionary processes shape the diversity of ecological interactions and the role of these interactions in species persistence. Such knowledge is essential for preserving and restoring ecosystems in the face of growing environmental degradation.

https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013402

Natural selection

Paul Nurse

Application of microbial inoculants significantly  enhances crop productivity: A meta-analysis of studies from 2010 to 2020

Li et al, 2022

Abstract

Introduction

With the rapid development of microbial technology, microbial inoculant is considered as a promising tool in sustainable agricultural systems. Mechanisms by which microbial inoculants improve crop yield include improving plant nutrient availability and alleviating abiotic/biotic stresses (e.g., drought, salt and disease). However, the field efficacy of microbial inoculants remains inconsistent, which constrains large-scale adoptions. Identity of dominant mechanisms that underpin the positive impacts of different microbial inoculants is limited. Thus, a comprehensive quantitative assessment of known inoculants on crop performance is needed to provide guidance for the development of effective microbial tools from both research and commercial perspectives.

Materials and Methods

Based on 97 peer-reviewed publications, we conducted a meta-analysis to quantify the benefits of different microbial inoculants on crop yield, and to identify the key mechanisms that underpin enhanced crop yield.

Results

Result showed that (i) alleviation of stresses was the major mechanism (53.95%, n = 53) by which microbial inoculants enhance crop yield, while improving plant nutrient availability accounted for 22.25% (n = 58) of crop yield enhancement. (ii) Pseudomonas was the most effective microbial inoculant in enhancing crop yield through alleviating stresses (63.91%, n = 15), whereas Enterobacter was the most effective in improving plant nutrient availability (27.12%, n = 5). (iii) Considering both mechanisms together, Pseudomonas (49.94%, n = 21), Enterobacter (27.55%, n = 13) and Bacillus (25.66%, n = 32) were the largest sources of microbial inoculants to enhance crop yield, and the combination of diazotroph Burkholderia with its legume host had the highest effect on improving the yield (by 196.38%). Microbial inoculants also improve nutritional quality by enhancing mineral contents in the produce.

Conclusion

Our analysis provides evidence that microbial inoculants can enhance agricultural productivity and nutritional quality and can be used either alone or in combination with reduced amount of agrochemicals to promote sustainable agriculture.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/sae2.12028