Functional Microorganisms in Bio-organic Fertilizers: Strain Screening, Application Validation and Characterization

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Microbiology
• Soil Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Bio-organic fertilizers (BOFs) rely on functional microbial strains for efficacy.
• Current frameworks for selecting and validating these strains are underdeveloped for research and product development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review functional microbial groups in BOFs, their mechanisms, and strain selection/validation strategies.
• To provide a systematic methodological reference for developing functional strains for BOFs.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized literature on microbial groups, mechanisms, and strain selection/screening/validation pathways.
• Evaluated conventional (culture-based, oligotrophic, extreme-habitat screening) and modern (molecular, data-driven) approaches.
• Emphasized integrated, tiered evaluation frameworks.

Main Results:

• Different screening methods suit specific needs: culture-based for pure cultures, oligotrophic for resource-limited environments, extreme-habitat for stress tolerance, and molecular/data-driven for discovery and analysis.
• Optimizing strains requires integrating in vitro screening with formulation adaptability, phenotyping, and application validation.

Conclusions:

• A systematic, tiered approach is crucial for selecting, evaluating, and developing functional microbial strains for BOFs.
• Integrated evaluation frameworks enhance the reliability and efficacy of BOF products.