ABSTRACT
Healthy food rich in protein, fat, and carbohydrates is needed by everyone. However, WHO reports have revealed that the protein concentration in food crops has been depleted in the last few decades. There is a possible cause behind it: the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizer with the purpose of rendering high crop production. Several pieces of researchhave confirmed the harmful effects of overuse of chemical fertilizers such as degradation in soil fertility, leading salinity, reduction of beneficial microbes, changes in both the quality and quantity of food grains.Additionally, there has been a negative impact on human health. In recent trends, sustainability in agricultural production has emerged as one of the most significant concerns. Researchers have proposed the use of beneficial microbes in the form of bio-fertilizers to resolve such problems. Bio-fertilizers are an alternative to chemical fertilizers which enhancecrop productivity, manage the soil health in a sustainable manner, and indirectly affect human health. Bio-fertilizers play a significant role in nutrient input into the soil by fixing atmospheric nitrogen, solubilizing phosphate, assisting in the production of plant growth hormones, increasing the water-holding capacity of soil, and are also proven to be cost-effective.
