Summary
This narrative review presents the holobiome framework as an interconnected system of microbial ecosystems across soil, plants, animals, humans and the broader environment. The authors argue that industrial agriculture, herbicide use and antibiotic overuse have degraded microbial diversity with cascading ecological and health consequences, and propose that probiotic interventions, microbial inoculants, and artificial intelligence-enabled microbiome research can restore microbial equilibrium, enhance soil health and crop productivity, and support human health outcomes. The work emphasises the necessity of interdisciplinary collaboration and supportive policy frameworks to advance holobiome science and address global sustainability challenges.
Regional applicability
The holobiome framework and mechanisms described are broadly applicable to United Kingdom agricultural and health contexts, particularly given the prevalence of intensive farming practices and soil degradation in UK arable systems. However, the paper does not appear to present UK-specific field trials or case studies; transferability would depend on validating the proposed microbial interventions in UK soil types, climates and cropping systems, and on policy alignment with sustainable agriculture and One Health principles.
Key measures
Microbial diversity metrics; soil fertility indicators; crop yield outcomes; nutrient uptake rates; carbon sequestration capacity; gut microbiota diversity; inflammatory markers; soil contaminant degradation
Outcomes reported
The paper synthesises evidence that soil and environmental microbiomes drive nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and pathogen suppression, and that microbial inoculants can remediate degraded soils and enhance crop yields. It reviews how probiotics restore microbial balance across agricultural and human health contexts, with artificial intelligence enabling predictive modelling and optimisation of microbial consortia.
Topic tags
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