Ecological diversity, mechanism, and biotechnology of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria for enhanced crop production

Abstract

The exponentially growing population has engendered the global need to enhance agricultural production in a sustainable manner. Phosphate solubilization is a vital process that determines plant productivity. Conversely, P availability in soil is highly limited due to chemical reactions that fix it into insoluble forms. Soil naturally has organisms capable of bioameliorating the soil Pi by converting it into orthophosphates that can be taken up by the plants. Addition of such bacteria possessing mineral phosphate-solubilizing (mps) activity has been found to increase plant growth and yield even further. Research evidence has clearly shown that microorganisms apart from possessing P-solubilizing ability also enhance plant growth and development through other mechanisms such as nutrient transformation, nutrient mobilization, and production of biologically active compounds. The understanding of microbial community dynamics, functional variation, the relationship between roots and microbiota and their implications in mps mechanism, and the applications of biotechnological tools need to be interwoven to find efficient bacterial cultures with super plant growth-promoting qualities that can be used to develop effective biofertilizers for enhancing crop nutrition in different agroecological niches.