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Published on: April 10, 2018
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The Microbial Connection to Sustainable Agriculture
Kalaivani Nadarajah1, Nur Sabrina Natasha Abdul Rahman1
1Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia.
Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 28, 2023
Summary
Harnessing beneficial microbes and microbiome engineering is key for sustainable agriculture, improving soil health, plant growth, and crop yields while managing diseases. This approach enhances agricultural resilience and productivity.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Microbiology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Microorganisms are vital for soil fertility, plant growth, and yield in sustainable agriculture.
- Microbial roles range from beneficial (soil health) to detrimental (plant diseases).
- Translating lab findings on plant-soil microbiomes to field applications remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of beneficial microbes in sustainable agriculture.
- To explore microbiome engineering strategies for enhancing agricultural outcomes.
- To discuss the translation of microbiome research from the lab to the field.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on plant-soil microbiome research.
- Analysis of microbiome engineering techniques and their applications.
- Discussion of next-generation sequencing and omics methods for microbial characterization.
Main Results:
- Microbiome engineering offers potential for increased crop yield, disease resistance, and stress management.
- Understanding microbial functionality and diversity is crucial for effective deployment.
- Field translation requires inoculant stability and ecosystem integration.
Conclusions:
- Microbiome engineering is a promising avenue for developing sustainable agricultural technologies.
- Further research is needed to optimize the translation of microbial solutions to field conditions.
- Integrated approaches using omics and genome editing can create robust microbial communities for agriculture.
Keywords:
beneficial organismsbiocontrolsbiofertilizermicrobiomemicrobiome engineeringmultidisciplinary omics technologiesMore Related Videos
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