Amylases are group of enzymes produced by plants, animals and microorganisms, the enzyme has the ability to hydrolyze or degrade starch molecules into polymers containing units of glucose, thus, it is one of the most useful enzymes used by industries dependent on starch in their production processes. The enzyme has varying applications in food, fermentation, textile, pharmaceutical industries among others. Generally, amylase from microbial sources (i.e. fungal and bacterial origin) has over shadowed others in industrial usage. As such, this Paper aimed at reviewing amylase enzyme as a whole and some of its common industrial applications. The review visited the types of amylase based on hydrolases classification, its sources with emphasis to microorganisms, methods of production as well as effects of some chemical and physical parameters. The review also discusses some of the most common industrial application or uses of amylase enzyme in food, brewing, chemicals, paper, pharmaceutical, textile industries to mention but few. In conclusion, the reviewers suggest the use of microbial amylase due to it easy and simple technique in production, lower capital investment, lower energy requirement and high yield during production, exploration of more microbes with enzyme production potentials as well as improved industrial Scale production of the amylase for the betterment of the economy and improved industrial production of products. Key: Amylase, Application, Enzyme, Industry, Microbes and Starch.

Poverty alleviation in Sub-Saharan Africa is proportionally dependent on soil management. Low crop productivity has been linked to hunger and poverty as soil degradation is undeniably the cause. This chapter gives a general overview from major findings on how microbes could improve phosphate (P) levels in soils by enhancing its solubility. A cross-sectional study was under taken to highlight the role played by phosphate-solubilizing microbes—arbuscular mycorhizal fungi (AMF) and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) in improving phosphate solubility. About 30–50% of phosphorus is organic which the plants could readily assimilate, while 50–70% is inorganic and inaccessible to plants. There are several mechanisms the plants utilize to optimize nutrient uptake from the root hairs to various parts of the plant to maximize crop production. The utilization of readily available minerals such as phosphate rock is known to play vital role in plant ecology and evolution, in checking drought stress, heavy metal toxicity, nutritional imbalances, plant pathogens, and salinity. Therefore, soil improvement using rock phosphate could potentially act in synergy with the phosphate-solubilizing microbes to boost phosphate levels in the soil. This could be a welcome development in low-income economies in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to boost yield for profit maximization.

Neglected and underutilized crops (NUS) are those crops that are entirely ignored or little attention is paid to them by agriculture researchers, plant breeders and policy-makers. There has been renewed interest in NUS as many of these varieties and species, along with a wealth of traditional knowledge are being lost at an alarming rate. This chapter provides an overview of underutilized legumes in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). There is a recognized need to explore the diversity of indigenous micro symbionts associated with underutilized legumes. The biochemical mechanism in legumes remains elusive to date as evidence is mounting for allelopathic inhibition of nitrifying microorganisms by root exudation of phenolic compounds. A cross-sectional study was undertaken to explore the potential relationship between enzymatic processes of certain legumes and high tolerance to drought stresses, high biomass productivity, erosion control and dune stabilization and general soil health. Pigeon pea among other legumes have a huge untapped potential for improvement of both in quantity and quality of production in Africa.