Rhizosphere Microbiomes and Their Potential Role in Increasing Soil Fertility and Crop Productivity

Abstract

Plant microbiome in rhizosphere plays the most critical role in plant growth promoting (PGP), development, and fertilization of soil. Plants and rhizospheric soil are natural resources that harbor microorganisms, and this plays important roles in the maintenance of nutrient balance and ecosystem function. The diverse group of microbes is significant components of soil plant systems, where they are bound in an intense network of interactions within the (rhizosphere-phyllospheric-endophytic). The microbes with PGP attributes have emerged as an important and promising tool for sustainable agriculture. PGP microbes promote plant growth directly or indirectly either by releasing plant growth phytohormones; solubilization of phosphorus, potassium, and zinc; and biological process such as nitrogen fixation or by producing siderophore, ammonia, and other secondary metabolites which have antagonistic activity against pathogenic microbes. The PGP microbes belong to different phylum of archaea (Euryarchaeota), bacteria (Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Deinococcus-Thermus, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria), and fungi (Ascomycota and Basidiomycota).