Microbial inoculants: A novel approach for better plant microbiome interactions

Abstract

The rhizospheric interactions between plant and the microbiome influence fertility of soil, growth, development, and yield of crop plants. The interplay between plant and the microbes provides various services to the plant which are helpful for the production of agricultural crops in a sustainable manner. Among all the factors, the most influential factor that can improve plant microbiome interplay is the soil microbial community of the rhizosphere, where soil microbes, soil, and the plant roots interact with each other. Microbial interventions to improve plant microbiome interactions involve the introduction of microbial inoculants, which consist of naturally occurring diverse microflora of soil that improve health of crop plant and can protect the host plant from stresses and diseases through a diverse range of mechanisms. The use of beneficial microbes as inoculants for production of crops increases the diversity of microorganisms in soil and also ensures the production of sufficient food for the growing human population. The soil microbiome and the plants work together in coordination with each other for the benefit of plant and soil. The number of functional characters of microbes such as fixation of molecular nitrogen, solubilization of inorganic phosphate and production of iron chelating agents, and plant growth promoting hormones are used as plant growth promotion traits for the selection of microbial isolates to be used as bio-inoculants. Microbial inoculants are economic and easy to use and their incorporation reduces the dependence on chemical fertilizers. Thus, their application protects the environment from adverse effects of inorganic fertilizers. But, there are number of natural factors that influence and limit the effectiveness and efficiency of inoculated microbes under field conditions. The use of microbial inoculants for sustainable agriculture will be an environmental benign approach to improve plant microbiome interactions for nutrient management and ecological functions.