Helpful microbes could cut fertilizer and pesticide use, but hurdles remain
Negi R, Sharma B, Darshani P, Thakur SS, Ratnasari A
Soil Health
The microbes living around your tomato roots and on your leaves already help feed and protect your plants, and the store-bought microbial inoculants you can add to your beds are built on exactly this science.
Every plant carries a crowd of bacteria and fungi on its roots, leaves, and inside its tissues. Many of them unlock nutrients from soil, make growth hormones, block disease, and help plants get through drought or salty ground. Scientists are now working on mixed microbe blends and better product formulas so farmers and gardeners can use them reliably instead of relying on chemicals.
Key Findings
Plant-associated microbes in the rhizosphere, phyllosphere, endosphere, and bulk soil contribute to nutrient uptake, phytohormone production, disease suppression, and stress tolerance.
Microbial consortia, microbiome engineering, omics tools, and advanced bioformulations are the main emerging technologies for improving performance of plant growth-promoting microbes.
Commercial adoption is limited by formulation stability, variable field conditions, regulatory frameworks, and farmer uptake, so future work must address these to support climate-resilient farming.
chevron_right Technical Summary
This review pulls together research on helpful soil and plant microbes that feed crops, fend off disease, and help plants handle drought and heat. It argues these microbes could replace some chemical fertilizers and pesticides, though shelf life, field consistency, regulation, and farmer adoption still stand in the way.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Revitalization of plant growth-promoting plant allied microbes: an eco-friendly approach for agricultural and environmental sustainability.
Plants are increasingly recognized as metaorganisms because they harbor diverse and dynamic microbial communities that establish intricate symbiotic associations and collectively regulate plant gro...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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