The Role of Beneficial Microorganisms in Soil Quality and Plant Health

Abstract

The practice of agriculture has always been a source of food production. The increase in the global population leads to improvements in agriculture, increasing crop quality and yield. Plant growth results from the interaction between roots and their environment, which is the soil or planting medium that provides structural support as well as water and nutrients to the plant. Therefore, good soil management is necessary to prevent problems that will directly affect plant health. Integrated crop management is a pragmatic approach to crop production, which includes integrated pest management focusing on crop protection. Currently, there is an extended idea that many microorganisms, such as fungi or bacteria, are useful in agriculture since they are attractive eco-friendly alternatives to mineral fertilizers and chemical pesticides. The microbes that interact with the plants supply nutrients to crops, control phytopathogens and stimulate plant growth. These actions have beneficial implications in agriculture. Despite the great benefits of microorganisms in agriculture, their use has been quite limited; however, there has been great growth in recent years. This may be because more progress is needed in field applications. One of the most employed genera in agriculture is Bacillus since it has several mechanisms to act as biofertilizers and biopesticides. In this review, the role of beneficial microorganisms, with special emphasis on the Bacillus genus, in soil and plant health will be discussed, highlighting the recent advances in this topic.

Induction of resilience strategies against biochemical deteriorations prompted by severe cadmium stress in sunflower plant when Trichoderma and bacterial inoculation were used as biofertilizers

“…Acute and chronic exposure to Cd can induce more damage including severe disturbance and downregulation in the physiological processes of plants, such as increased reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in the cells, which, in turn, act as deleterious molecules mediating an oxidative/nitrosative burst that could cause growth inhibition, accelerated senescence, and mostly cause plant death ( Noor et al., 2022 ). To survive severe Cd stress, the built-in durability and adaptability mechanisms of plants to withstand metal stress conditions are used to improve plant resistance against metal stress, furthermore enhancing the natural role of microorganisms as biofertilizers that will be beneficial in improving soil health and plant productivity ( Ortiz and Sansinenea, 2022 ).…”

“…Rhizosphere microorganisms have been used to underpin resilience strategies against abiotic stress in many plants, such as Solanum nigrum , Brassica napus , tomato, and maize ( Dell'Amico et al., 2008 ; Sheng et al., 2008 ; Chen et al., 2010 ; Dourado et al., 2013 ) mainly achieved by increasing the bioavailability of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) and other soil trace elements essential to plant growth. Moreover, the presence of the symbiotic association also helps to increase plant water uptake; encompasses the adverse effects of phytopathogens; modifies plant growth hormone production; and diminishes the impact of abiotic stresses like drought, salinity, and HM toxicity ( Ortiz and Sansinenea, 2022 ). Their significant role in HM stress management is substantially by eliminating the negative effects of metal on yield quantity and quality ( Basu et al., 2017 ; Ding et al., 2021 ).…”

“…Adaptation and acclimatization of plants for survival under stress conditions due to microorganism inoculations induced physical and chemical changes, wherein the term Induced Systemic Tolerance (IST) has been coined ( Basu et al., 2017 ). This matter catapults them as natural biofertilizers and bioprotection agents ( Ortiz and Sansinenea, 2022 ). However, the underlying strategies of microbe-induced resilience are not well understood, and the modes of action largely remain elusive and microbe species-dependent.…”

Soil pH, Calcium Content and Bacteria as Major Factors Responsible for the Distribution of the Known Fraction of the DNA Bacteriophage Populations in Soils of Luxembourg

“…Microbes, including fungi, archaea and bacteria, play a key role in organic matter decomposition, element cycling and nutrient availability to plants [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. This microbial activity, particularly due to the quantity, diversity and functional roles of prokaryotes, is considered central to soil processes [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Viruses are also biological entities fully part of soil biodiversity with essential but relatively unexplored functions [ 11 ].…”

Early season soil microbiome best predicts wheat grain quality

“…Soil microorganisms play a key role in many ecosystem processes that are central to agricultural production. For instance, soil microorganisms recycle organic matter, cycle nutrients, abate abiotic stresses, change soil structure and porosity, and promote plant growth (Ortiz & Sansinenea 2022). However, although it is theoretically known how to modify microbial communities (Agoussar & Yergeau 2021), it is in practice still a very daunting task because of the complexity of the communities and their interactions.…”