Agricultural Sustainability: Microbial Biofertilizers in Rhizosphere Management

Summary

This narrative review examines the potential of beneficial soil microorganisms—chiefly plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and mycorrhizal fungi—as alternatives to synthetic chemical fertilisers in addressing global food security. The authors discuss how these microbes, when formulated as biofertilisers and amended with locally sourced organic materials or nanoparticles, can enhance plant nutrition, productivity, and resilience to stress whilst providing a cost-effective, non-toxic, and ecologically sustainable approach to rhizosphere management. The review positions microbial biofertilisers as a pragmatic response to the declining soil fertility, ecological damage, and economic barriers associated with intensive chemical fertiliser use.

UK applicability

The principles of microbial biofertiliser formulation and rhizosphere management are broadly applicable to UK agriculture, particularly for farmers seeking to reduce synthetic input costs and improve soil health. However, the review does not address climate-specific adaptation or UK regulatory approval pathways for biofertiliser products, which would be necessary for practical uptake in British farming systems.

Key measures

Not applicable to a narrative review; the paper summarises literature on plant growth promotion, yield increase, abiotic and biotic stress management, and pathogen suppression mechanisms via microbial biofertilisers

Outcomes reported

This review synthesised evidence on the role of beneficial soil microorganisms—particularly plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and mycorrhizal fungi—in formulating biofertilisers to enhance plant growth, yield, stress tolerance, and disease suppression. The paper examined how microbial amendments combined with organic materials and nanoparticles can increase agricultural productivity in a cost-effective and environmentally benign manner.

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