Linking the soil microbiome to soil health

Abstract

Soil health is the capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem. Maintenance of soil health is essential to agricultural sustainable development of terrestrial ecosystems. Soil microbiome is the key player for conservation of soil health. They govern biogeochemical cycling of elements, pollutant degradation, and rhizosphere immunity, which enhances soil fertility and crop productivity. Soil contains diverse microbes and numerous metabolisms associated with abundant organic compounds. The complexity of soil microbial community limits our knowledge about the links between soil microbiome and soil health. With the advancement in sequencing technologies and meta-omics, microbiologists have begun to explore microbial functions and interactions in the soil. Understanding and exploring the molecular mechanisms involved in microbiome interactions and microbial indicators for soil health will allow the manipulation of the soil microbiome so as to improve soil fertility and enhance crop productivity. It will also enable the scientists to recognize the microbial functions and formulate microbial communities capable of enhancing nutrient use efficiency, reducing soil contamination and increasing rhizosphere immunity. Here we review the recent advances in soil microbiome research, point out the significance of soil microbial multi-function in soil health cultivation, and provide new insights for building healthy soil through harnessing soil microbiome in the future.