Potential of microalgae and cyanobacteria to improve soil health and agricultural productivity: a critical view

Abstract

Microalgae are a source of scientific curiosity and inspiration for their utilization as ‘inoculants’ in agriculture and the commercial production of high-value products. Their diversity and abundance in the soil environment highlight the fact that these integral members of the soil microbial community modify the physical and chemical conditions of soils and interact with other microorganisms and even with higher plants with varying degrees of association. However, to date, the agronomic benefits of the nitrogen fixation trait of cyanobacteria have not been fully realized. Thus, the ecological functions of these organisms in the biological soil crusts should be thoroughly evaluated and widely applied given that climate change events can increase desertification. Currently, the crop yield increments and pest control due to these biostimulants and the reclamation of saline and sodic soils by these bioameliorants are considered economically marginal. Similarly, the carbon capture and storage by eukaryotic microalgae and cyanobacteria in soils are poorly understood. Limitations in their commercial production for agricultural use include inadequate technological innovations and the enormous expectation for yield increments, together with the contemporary monetization of their environmental benefits. Thus, this critical review presents the desirable reappraisal of their agronomic benefits and the invigoration of research and culture collections to utilize these organisms or their metabolites, considering the evolutionary consequences and environmental advantages and finally their commercial production for widespread application in agriculture.