Abstract
The quest for enhancing agricultural yields due to increased pressure on food production has inevitably led to the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and other agrochemicals. Biofertilizers are emerging as a suitable alternative to counteract the adverse environmental impacts exerted by synthetic agrochemicals. Biofertilizers facilitate the overall growth and yield of crops in an eco-friendly manner. They contain living or dormant microbes, which are applied to the soil or used for treating crop seeds. One of the foremost candidates in this respect is rhizobacteria. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are an important cluster of beneficial, root-colonizing bacteria thriving in the plant rhizosphere and bulk soil. They exhibit synergistic and antagonistic interactions with the soil microbiota and engage in an array of activities of ecological significance. They promote plant growth by facilitating biotic and abiotic stress tolerance and support the nutrition of host plants. Due to their active growth endorsing activities, PGPRs are considered an eco-friendly alternative to hazardous chemical fertilizers. The use of PGPRs as biofertilizers is a biological approach toward the sustainable intensification of agriculture. However, their application for increasing agricultural yields has several pros and cons. Application of potential biofertilizers that perform well in the laboratory and greenhouse conditions often fails to deliver the expected effects on plant development in field settings. Here we review the different types of PGPR-based biofertilizers, discuss the challenges faced in the widespread adoption of biofertilizers, and deliberate the prospects of using biofertilizers to promote sustainable agriculture.
Highlights
Free-living soil bacteria that thrive in the rhizosphere, aggressively colonize plant roots, and facilitate plant growth are designated as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), a term introduced by Kloepper and Schroth in 1978 [41]
Another challenge using PGPRs is their diverse mode of action, as all the rhizobacteria do not possess the same mechanisms of action for plant growth promotion [121]
Post Green Revolution, the agroindustry has witnessed several scientific advances that resulted in better crop productivity but with environmental complications
Summary
As well as the biological and genetic potential of crop plants and microorganisms is an effective strategy to combat the rapid environmental deterioration while ensuring high agricultural productivity and better soil health [7]. Search for eco-friendly alternatives to mitigate the harmful effects of toxic agrochemicals led to the discovery and subsequent use of biofertilizers and other microbial-based products, including organic extracts and vermicompost teas [10,11,12]. These microbial products are non-toxic, environment-friendly, and act as potential tools for plant growth promotion and disease control. This review concisely and holistically provides deeper insights into the various aspects of PGPR-based biofertilizers, their prospects and constraints, and the roadmap to their commercialization
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