Abstract:
Although biofertilizers have been used for an exceptionally long time, challenges still remain
in using them to phase out chemical fertilizers. Chemical fertilizers generate environmental pollution
and negatively impact benefi cial organisms as well as human and animal wellbeing, causing a paradigm
shift towards safer improved biofertilizers. Hence, improving the arsenal of microbial inoculants
such as plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and plant growth-promoting fungi (PGPF),
use of microbial consortia, use of uncommon inoculants such as extremophiles and microalgae,
development of customized biofertilizers to suit the conditions of the fi elds and their geographical
locations, identifying and popularizing other benefi cial aspects of biofertilizers to use them as tools
for bioremediation, improved plant physiology and degradation of pesticides have become the trends
of biofertilizers. However, soil application of biofertilizers has limited success yet and to be explored.
Because of the interactions of soil- introduced PGPR and PGPF can be excluded by the more
resilient microbiome in soil. Therefore, different strategies have to be employed to facilitate complex
interactions with soil, environment and phytomicrobiomes. New molecular technologies allow for
using metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, metaproteomics and metabolomics to spur development.
Phytomicrobiome engineering is also used in synthetic biology also may offer new trend. These will
be key in developing the next generation of biofertilizers.
