Bacterial inoculants for field applications under mountain ecosystem: Present initiatives and future prospects

Abstract

While microorganisms are ubiquitous in nature, their distribution is governed by environmental specificities. The use of biological fertilizers, in recent times, has received well deserved attention mainly due to increased global preference for natural organic products, as well as to reduce the load of chemical fertilizers on the environment. Two major benefits associated with this eco-friendly microbe-based technology are: (1) improved plant nutrition and (2) biocontrol of a wide range of pathogens. Success of this technology, however, depends on the availability of ecologically competent microbes in user friendly formulations. One of the prerequisites for developing this technology is proper understanding of the diversity of microorganisms in a given ecosystem, with particular reference to their functional efficiency. Isolation of microorganisms, screening for desirable characters, selection of efficient strains, pot and field trials, and finally the production of inoculum in easy to store formulations in a cost-effective manner are the main steps toward the development of this microbe-based technology. The present review highlights some of the initiatives taken up by various laboratories located in the Indian Himalayan Region, with particular attention to elucidate the potential of this technology in low temperature environments of the mountain ecosystem, with comments on the future prospects in this area of research with the introduction of modern molecular tools.