Summary
This review examines the current state of microbial biofertilisers and biocontrol agents in agriculture, predominantly based on plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria and beneficial fungi. The authors address the primary challenge of inconsistent field performance and propose that combinations of diverse microbial strains forming complete plant microbiomes may improve outcomes. The paper surveys available techniques and innovative approaches for identifying and characterising beneficial traits in new microbial strains, emphasising the importance of understanding microbial mechanisms of action prior to product development.
UK applicability
The findings are broadly applicable to UK agriculture, as the review addresses universal challenges in developing reliable biofertiliser products that could support more sustainable farming practices and reduce synthetic fertiliser dependence. Implementation would require UK-specific validation of identified microbial consortia under local soil and climatic conditions.
Key measures
Not specified; review paper examining microbial strain traits, mechanisms of action, and identification methodologies
Outcomes reported
The paper reviews available microbiological tools (PGPR, soil fungi, mycorrhizal fungi) and examines techniques for identifying and characterising new beneficial microbial traits. It discusses approaches for discovering novel efficient microbial strains for biofertiliser and biocontrol applications.
Topic tags
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