ABSTRACT
The present population growth and global climate change challenge the existing food and farming systems, demanding an increased intensification of agriculture. A promising option is eco-functional agricultural intensification through organic farming, an approach based on using and enhancing internal natural resources. In this regard, an active soil microbiome plays a vital role for various soil-based ecosystem processes, such as nutrient cycling, soil erosion control, and pest and disease regulation. Scientists and policy planners are re-evaluating agricultural practices and placing more emphasis on biological inputs, rather than heavy dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The results obtained from isolating and characterizing microbial communities offer, evidence that there are microbial communities that can function more efficiently with the existing rhizosphere bacteria and beneficial mycorrhizal fungi. These include non-pathogenic and selected species of Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Trichoderma, and other beneficial microbes. Based on these microorganisms’ enhancement of nutrient retention and inherent soil retention, they are presently being incorporated into the agricultural system. Microbial communities from soil can be recovered and used for developing consortia that have the potential to be used as biofertilizers in sustainable organic farming.
