Phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms in sustainable production of wheat: Current perspective

Abstract

In terms of global production, wheat among cereals ranks third after rice and maize, contributing about 35% of the total food grain production. Wheat due to high nutritional value is considered one of the important dietary constituents and, hence, has become one of the better food choices around the world. For growth and development, wheat requires large amounts of major plant nutrients especially phosphorus (P). Application of sufficient amounts of P has many beneficial impacts on wheat including its role in growth, grain formation, and development, and in straw yield. Phosphorus deficiency, however, may adversely affect the growth and, therefore, hampers the physiological processes leading eventually to overall stunting of the plant. In order to circumvent the phosphorus problems and hence to achieve optimum yields, wheat growers usually apply excessive amounts of chemical phosphatic fertilizer which is both expensive and destructive to soil fertility. To overcome these problems, a physiologically versatile array of microorganisms especially belonging to phosphate-solubilizing group has been introduced into the agricultural system for improving wheat production. The P-solubilizing microorganisms (PSM) solubilize unavailable soil P and make it available for uptake by plants. The use of microbial phosphatic fertilizer (microphos) in wheat production system is considered an eco-friendly strategy without adversely affecting the soil health. Despite numerous informations available on the impact of P-solubilizing microorganisms on various plants, literature suggesting the use of PSM in wheat production is limited. Realizing the importance of PSM in enhancing the overall performance of wheat, attempt has been made to better understand as to how the PSM affects wheat production in variable agricultural practices. Also, efforts will be made to find PSM which could be applied to facilitate the growth and development of wheat grown in different agroecological niches. Constant and sustainable application of PSM is expected to decrease the use of fertilizers in wheat production strategies.