ABSTRACT
Bioinoculantsalso known assoil inoculants are agricultural amendments that are used as beneficialmicrobes to promote plant growth and their physiological activities. Bioinoculants are cost-effective and ecofriendly natural inputs providing alternate source of plant nutrients, thus increasing farm income by providing extra yields and reducing input cost also. The common bioinoculants are Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Acetobacter, Azolla, Azospirillum, and blue green algae. Bioinoculants increase crop yield by 20%–30%, replace chemical N andP by 25%, stimulate plant growth, activate soil biologically, restore natural fertility, and provide protection against drought and some soil-borne diseases. Application of bioinoculants to the host plants serves as a biofertilizer by making bioavailability of macro- and micronutrient, a biostimulator, a stress regulator, and a biocontrol agent. Further research on the exploitation of bioinoculants can be used as an innovative technology in organic farming for better crop productivity. This chapter summarizes the role of microbial inoculants for sustainable agriculture, trends, constraints, and their future prospective.
