The Role of Soil Microorganisms as Inoculation in Maintaining Soil Fertility and Crop Productivity

Abstract

Increasing human population while soil fertility depletion is becoming a serious problem. Fertile soil functions as a complex living system that provides various ecosystem services, such as preserving water quality and crop production, regulating decomposition of soil nutrient recycling, and eliminating atmospheric greenhouse gases. Soil fertility is closely related to sustainable farming; the key components of soil health are diversity and activity attributable to soil microorganisms. The ability of a crop production system to consistently produce food without environmental damage is agricultural sustainability. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, cyanobacteria, and beneficial nematodes increase the efficiency of water use and the supply of nutrients to plants, the development of phytohormones, the cycling of soil nutrients, and plant resistance to environmental stress. Farming practices have shown that, by increasing the abundance, diversity, and operation of microorganisms to preserve soil fertility and increase crop quality, organic farming and tillage improve soil health. Conservation tillage may theoretically improve the profitability of the grower by reducing inputs and labor costs compared to traditional tillage, whereas organic farming can add additional management costs due to high labor demands for weeding and pest control and fertilizer inputs such as Nitrogen-based, which are usually less reliable than synthetic fertilizers in terms of uniformity and stability. This review has shown soil micro-organisms enhance soil fertility and crop productivity.

Keywords: Soil fertility, Soil microorganisms, Inoculation, Crop productivity

DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/13-2-01

Publication date: January 31^st 2023