Perspectives of Microbial Inoculation for Sustainable Development and Environmental Management

Author: mycolabadmin
2018-12-05
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Summary

This research examines how beneficial microorganisms can be used to promote sustainable agriculture and clean up environmental pollution. These microscopic organisms can help plants grow better naturally while also breaking down harmful pollutants in soil and water. The study has important implications for creating more environmentally-friendly farming practices and cleaning up contaminated sites. Key impacts on everyday life: – Reduces the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides in farming – Provides natural ways to clean up polluted soil and water – Helps make food production more sustainable and environmentally friendly – Offers solutions for dealing with industrial contamination – Could lead to development of safer agricultural and remediation products

Background

Population growth and industrialization have put significant pressure on global ecosystems, with 39% of terrestrial biomes affected by intensive land use or settlements. The green revolution launched 50 years ago combined high-yielding cultivars with inorganic fertilizers and pesticides to increase food production. While this generally improved human life and the world’s economy, industrial effluents have negatively affected soil, water and atmospheric health leading to environmental degradation.

Objective

This review provides an overview of current research on microbial inoculation as a way to either replace or reduce the use of agrochemicals and clean environments heavily affected by pollution. It aims to demonstrate how microorganism-based inoculants that enhance nutrient uptake, promote crop growth, or protect plants from pests and diseases can replace agrochemicals in food production while also being used to clean contaminated sites.

Results

The review found that microbes can effectively degrade agrochemicals, industrial effluents, and petroleum products through direct degradation of organic pollutants and detoxification of inorganic compounds. They can also decrease the need for agrochemicals through plant growth promoting mechanisms. Specific microorganisms were identified that can degrade pesticides, azodyes, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and detoxify heavy metals from industrial waste. The studies demonstrated successful use of microbial inoculants as biofertilizers and biopesticides through various plant growth promoting traits.

Conclusion

Microbial inoculants show great potential for both promoting sustainable agriculture and remediating contaminated environments. They can effectively replace agrochemicals through plant growth promotion and pest control while also degrading pollutants and detoxifying contaminated sites. However, more research is needed on consortial inoculants, root colonization efficiency, specific plant-microbe interactions, and the behavior of genetically engineered microbes in natural environments.

Published in:Frontiers in Microbiology,
Study Type:Review,
Source: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02992