Status and Prospects of Bacterial Inoculants for Sustainable Management of Agroecosystems

Abstract

Bacterial inoculants are bacterial species that are applied directly or indirectly to enhance the growth and yield of plants. The application of bacterial inoculants is largely due to their compatibility and complementarity with natural processes of nutrient cycling, plant protection and other related biological processes in agroecosystems. As a nature-based solution, bacterial inoculants are able to drive many beneficial biological processes in agroecosystems with little or no negative impacts. However, their applications have been limited by factors such as awareness, production quality and quantity, storage and compatibility. Although there are studies that are already investigating many of these challenges, the future prospects of the application of bacterial inoculants will be determined by the adoption of new technologies that include multi-omics approach for improving the quality as well as applicability of these beneficial microorganisms. PU - SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING AG PI - CHAM PA - GEWERBESTRASSE 11, CHAM, CH-6330, SWITZERLAND