PONDYCHERRI UNIVERSITY

ASSIGNMENT ON: ROLE OF MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES IN

SOIL HEALTH AND AGRICULTURE

SUBMITTED TO: PROF.MATHIMARAN

SUBMITTED BY

LILABATI PALIT

REG NO:23371016

M.SC ECOLOGY
INTRODUCTION

Microorganisms perform multiple plant growth-promoting activities

including fixation, mineralization, solubilization, and mobilization of
nutrients, production of siderophores, antagonistic substances, antibiotics,
and release of plant growth-promoting substances, such as auxin and
gibberellin hormones, mediated by interactions between host plant roots
and microbes in the rhizosphere. microorganisms with critical roles in the
microbiome can be isolated, formulated, and developed as a new biological
product called biofertilizers. Agriculturally, important microbes with Fe-
and Zn-solubilizing attributes can be used for the biofortification of
micronutrients in different cereal crops. Regardless of the approach to be
used, innovations with the use of microbiomes represent the future of
sustainable agriculture.

The term microbiome was first coined by Lederberg and McCray defined
as the “Set of resident micro-organisms that inhabit a given
host/environment.” In agriculture, microbes are used as biocontrol
agents (for controlling pests and diseases), biostimulants (mobilizing
locally available nutrients for plant uptake), and biofertilizers . These
microorganisms are dynamic, as they have self-sustaining as well as self-
replicating capabilities and do not need repeated inoculation. The
efficiency and durability of microbial inoculants in promoting plant
growth and toward soil resilience depend on the environment, type of
plant, and microbial community
Sustainable Agriculture for Soil and Environmental Health
The high dependence on modern agricultural practices and application of mineral fertilizers
and agrochemicals hinders internal nutrient cycling in soil . Adoption of various mineral
fertilizers and agrochemicals causing harm to beneficial insects, soil microbiome, and plants,
generate contaminated runoff and pollute water systems, also leading to climate change in
terms of fluctuating temperature and rainfall . Uneven distribution of rainfall caused severe
soil erosion and degradation showing a severely detrimental effect on soil structure and
productivity. The soil microbiome plays an important role in plant growth development and
soil fertility for sustainable agriculture . The soil microbiome plays a role in nutrient cycling
through organic matter decomposition and ecosystem functioning (nutrient recycling and
resistance to biotic and abiotic stress) . In sustainable agriculture, diverse groups of the
microbiome are used for nutrient acquisition through rhizospheric or endophytic, or
phyllosphere interaction in symbiotic/free living mechanisms and plant protection through
the use of biopesticide/biofungicide. Conservation and integrated use of natural resources,
such as soil and water, which are the main sources of mineral nutrients are crucial for a safe
environment, crop productivity, and human health. Sustainable agricultural practices
conserve natural resources against deterioration of soil and water, minimize environmental
pollution, and maintain soil health and biodiversity. Sustainable agriculture can be defined
as an integration of plant and animal products, such as farmyard manure (FYM), crop
residue, etc., that will meet human food and fiber demand through efficient use of on-farm
and non-renewable resources that can enhance economic viability; the environment also
improves the quality of the farmer's life as well as environmental quality . Sustainability can
be achieved through proper waste management at the farm and using animal manure, so
that adoption of off-farm resources, such as agrochemicals can be minimized. For example,
crop rotation with a variety of crops, e.g., cereals–oilseed–pulse crop pattern (rice–soybean–
green gram) based on climatic condition and source of water availability benefits the
farmers, reduces production risk and uncertainty, and enhances soil ecological sustainability.
Sustainable agriculture practices comprise practices, such as agroforestry, intercropping,
crop rotation, green manuring, conservation tillage, cover crops, and adopting biofertilizers.
Intercropping
This intercropping system reduces land and water demand, and offers an inexpensive
management strategy in environments projected to face water scarcity. In
sustainable agriculture, intercropping plays a major role in the main economic yield
balance to farmers and maintains the yield stability of the crops. Intercropping
practices have a complementary effect for plants used regarding resource use, which
effectively utilizes solar radiation, water, and nutrient elements compared with pure
cropping .

Therefore, the positive effects of intercropping include the maintenance of soil water
and utilization of the available environmental resources; it is also facilitated through
the activity of microorganisms and nitrogen fixation . Therefore, intercropping can
lead to improvements in the physiological and biochemical characteristics of the
plant rhizosphere, which in turn increases productivity.

Green Manuring
Today's intensive agricultural practices, crop rotation, and green manuring (GM)
offer technology to achieve sustainable production efficiently. Green manuring is the
practice of incorporating undecomposed green plants into the soil to maintain the
nutrient supply to the succeeding crop. Green manuring is also known as the process
of incorporating green plants into the soil, which are raised in the same field or
another field at the green stage before flowering . Since continuous and conventional
cultivation leads to a decline in soil organic matter (SOM) content, soil nutrients
holding capacity are affected severely, resulting in a loss of soil sustainability. One of
the options to maintain sustainability in agriculture by restoring soil quality and
reclaiming degraded soil is to increase soil OM content by green manure crops
because this practice is eco-friendly, non-polluting, and non-hazardous to the soil,
water, and air . Green manure crops are mainly grown for the benefit of the soil and
are very commonly referred to as soil fertility-building crops. Besides, green manure
crops increase microbial growth and their dynamics in soil by releasing nutrients and
energy materials as root exudates and eventually enhance soil fertility and soil health

Biofertilizers
Increasing crop productivity by mitigating climate change and preserving agroecosystems is
one of the significant goals of sustainable agriculture. Sustainable agriculture has been
defined as an alternative integrated approach that could be used to solve fundamental and
applied issues ecologically related to food production. It integrates biological, physical,
chemical, and ecological principles to develop new practices that are not harmful to the
environment. Successful application of microbes helps in maintaining soil health, improving
water holding capacity, carbon storage, root growth, availability and cycling of essential
nutrients, filtering pollutants, and also in conservation of biodiversity .

IPM defines the management of pests by reducing pest numbers to acceptable levels, taking
into consideration protecting the environment, non-target organisms, and human health .
IPM implies the integration of appropriate measures that minimize the risks for human
health and the environment by preventing the development of pest populations and by
ensuring the use of plant protection products and other forms of intervention at economic
and ecologically justified and reduced levels.
Crop Rotation
Crop rotation is a critical feature of sustainable cropping systems because it provides
numerous benefits to crop production, building healthy soils, a major way to control
pests, and a variety of other benefits including nutrient cycling and decomposition of
organic residue, etc. They can help conserve, maintain, or replenish soil resources,
including organic matter, nitrogen, and other nutrient inputs, and physical and
chemical properties. Crop rotation means changing the type of crop grown on a
particular piece of land from year to year. It has an important influence on its
microbial properties . Unsuitable land management can lead to a loss of soil fertility
and a reduction in the abundance and diversity of soil microorganisms . The
appropriate choice of crops within the rotation and their sequence is crucial if
nutrient cycling within the field system is to be optimized and losses minimized over
the short and long term. Each crop species has slightly different characteristics, e.g.,
N demanding or N2 fixing , shallow or deep rooting , as well as amount and quality of
crop residue returned . Soil microbes modify soil structure by aggregating both
mineral and organic constituents via the production of extracellular compounds with
adhesive properties .

Agroforestry
Agroforestry is multiple land-use systems in which crops and woody perennials are grown on
the same land management unit. Agroforestry system is practiced all over the world, and it
has major importance in reducing the impact of climate change. Nowadays, climate change is
the problem of developed and developing countries, thus, meeting to find out a solution to
reduce the impact of climate change on agriculture, biodiversity, and food security.

The presence of woody perennials in agroforestry systems may affect several biophysical and
biochemical processes that determine the health of the soil substrate (53). The less disputed
of the effects of trees on soil include amelioration of erosion, primarily through surface litter
cover and understory vegetation; maintenance or increase in organic matter and diversity,
through continuous degeneration of roots and decomposition of litter; nitrogen fixation;
enhancement of physical properties, such as soil structure, porosity, and moisture retention
through the extensive root system and canopy cover; and enhanced efficiency of nutrient use
because the tree–root system can intercept, absorb and recycle nutrients in the soil that
would otherwise be lost through leaching

Soil Beneficial Microorganisms as a Link to

Sustainable Agriculture
Soil is a natural medium for plant growth and development. Soil is the most diverse
and complex habitat that consists of the smallest organisms in the soil and includes
bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, algae, etc. The plant microbiome is a key determinant
of plant health and productivity and has received substantial attention in recent
years . Microbes in the rhizosphere can establish beneficial, neutral, or detrimental
associations of varying intimacies with their host plants . Specific interactions
between microbes and model plants, such as in Rhizobium–legume symbioses , are
well understood. A significant amount, 5–20%, of the products of photosynthesis
(the photosynthate) is released, mainly into the rhizosphere (the soil–root interface)
through roots . These photosynthates include rhizodeposit exudates, mucilage, and
sloughed cells. Root exudates contain a variety of compounds, predominately organic
acids and sugars, and also amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, growth factors,
hormones, and antimicrobial compounds . Root exudates are key determinants of
rhizosphere microbiome structure . The composition of root exudates can vary
between plant species and cultivars and with plant age and developmental stage .

Role of the microbiome in sustainable agriculture.

Among the various advantages of the microbiome for plants, symbiotic associations
between nitrogen-fixing bacteria, mainly rhizobia, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and
phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, are typical examples of the microbiome for how
plants obtain nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively

Role of Microbial Biotechnology in Agriculture

Agricultural technologies ensured a green revolution in the middle of the 20th century but
caused high ecological costs and contributed to global pollution, unfavorable climate change,
and loss of biodiversity . Biotechnology and microbiology together offer a broad field of
research for the improvement of crop quality, crop productivity, and sustainability of
existing systems to produce more and better quality agricultural products through
genetically modified organisms (GMO) and transgenic crops. Microbial biotechnology played
a sustainable role in sustainable agriculture in various ways, i.e., biofertilizers, biopesticides,
bioherbicides, bioinsecticides, etc.

Soil microbes are thought of jointly as the most important parts for the sustainable
production of sustainable and healthy food. Microhabitat for microorganisms in the
rhizosphere is enriched with a huge diversity of microorganisms . In biotechnology,
rhizospheric microbes play a vital role in creating agricultural sustainability by varied means
, such as increasing N2 fixation; increasing the availability of P, S, Zn, and Fe; managing
abiotic and biotic stresses; increasing productivity, quality of crops, and bioremediation .

Microbiota for Human Health

As a major source of food, fiber, and biodiversity, the soil is considered an important
resource not only for agriculture but also for human health and the environment. Plants
require nutrients and clean water to generate nutritious food, and healthy soils provide
them. Humans are becoming increasingly conscious of how their nutrition affects their
overall health. However, we frequently overlook the complete food life cycle, focusing solely
on the quality of the last processing phases and ignoring the soil's health, which is essential
to sustain the 95% of food derived from the soil . Healthy soil generates a healthy society.

Agroecosystem natural ecosystem (“agroecosystem that has been modified for the
production of food and fiber”) functioning has been isolated from the internal cycle of
important plant nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, due to a heavy reliance on
artificial chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the soil rhizosphere. Successful application of
beneficial microbes helps in maintaining soil health, improving water holding capacity,
carbon storage, root growth, availability and cycling of essential nutrients, filtering
pollutants, and also in conservation of biodiversity.
Future Prospects
One of the challenges for future research work includes the protection and conservation of
rhizosphere biodiversity and its potential application in agricultural soils. The current use of
microbial inoculants has proven useful to address some agronomic challenges; however,
large-scale adoption remains low mainly owing to inconsistency in the efficacy under
different environmental conditions. More knowledge and deeper understanding are needed
on how agronomic practices under changing climatic conditions affect the composition,
abundance, and biofunctionality of microbes in delivering multiple agroecosystem services.
Sustainable agriculture is important for today's agricultural practices because policymakers,
conservationists, ecologists, scientists, farmers, and biologists are all interested in debating
the topic of sustainable agriculture .

Presently, the agricultural soil has been polluted due to extensive use of mineral fertilizers
and agrochemicals. The use of the microbiome offers an assured distinct advantage over
many other control agents and methods. The use of microbial technology would be fruitful
for the development of ecological and sustainable agriculture.
Conclusion
This review examined the role of the microbiome in sustainable agriculture and
human health. In sustainable agriculture, soil health is mainly determined by the
presence and diversity of microbes present in the soil rhizosphere. The diversity and
abundance of soil and rhizosphere microorganisms influence plant composition,
productivity, and sustainability. Deploying microbes to improve agriculture
productivity is an extremely attractive approach that is non-transgenic and can be
viewed collectively as the extended plant genome. Because these same microbes can
contribute to restoring soil health and productivity, they have a bright future in low-
input, sustainable agriculture. Improved assessment of soil health indicators is
necessary to further enhance our understanding of how production strategies and
environmental factors affect the physical, biological, and chemical stability and
dynamics of the soil–rhizosphere–plant systems and their impact on short- or long-
term sustainability.
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