Emerging frontiers in microbial-mediated utilization of crop residues for economically valuable biomaterials

Agricultural crop residues include leftover and unmarketable materials, such as crop stover, weeds, leaf litter, sawdust, forest litter, and livestock manure originating from crop cultivation, and post-harvest activities. Such residues are a storehouse of plant nutrients and several other resources and therefore need to be managed in an environment- friendly manner with minimum loss of plant nutrients and other resources that can be recovered. Microbial starter consortia are a key component in the rapid recycling of farm residue wastes and the production of other valuable products, such as biogas, bioethanol/biofuel, enzymes, molecules, and metabolites. Recent advances in microbial biotechnology can also facilitate the conversion of farm residues into economically valuable materials, i.e. soil additives, adsorbents, energy, and enzymes, thereby contributing to a circular economy. This special issue attempts to compile the latest advancements in the field of agricultural crop residue management for enhanced nutrient recycling and resource recovery by the use of compost starters and inoculant formulations.