THE IMPROVING SOIL HEALTH AND CROP PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH THE MICROBIAL AND BIOTECHNOLOGICAL APPROACH : THE ASSESSMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE SUSTAINABLE SOIL MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

Abstract

Sustainable management and Climate change of food and soil are closely interconnected, as climate change occurs, soil resources continue to deteriorate, while increases the population also increase pressure on food supplies. Sustainable soil management strategies allow agriculture producers to preserve or improve crop productivity even under challenging condition. Farming practice that rely heavily on synthetic fertilizers along with traditional tillage practice have created a negative impact on the quality of soil due to strong dependency on inputs. Environmental damages, like ecosystem disruption and contamination caused by there traditional practice, has decreases the access to safe and nutritious food for many populations. Microbial inoculans combined with modern innovations such as PGPR and AMF, provides promising alternatives to farming methods which are based on traditional inputs. These approaches increases the ability to support and maintain crop yields and ensuring the sustainability of agricultural production over the long term.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to find how microbial inoculants and existed technologies can impact on the productivity and soil quality such as yield and enhance resistance to abiotic stressors like salinity and drought while potentially reducing or removing reliance on the synthetic fertilizers.

Methodology

This research was a brief plan that incorporated both greenhouse trial and field experiment across multiple soil types. The experiment included an untreated control, single microbial inocultants of AMF and PGRP, combined microbial inoculants, and these experiments applies either alongside biochar or with prebiotic seed coatings.The following microorganisms were the dominant populations: Bacillus, Rhizobium, Azospirillum, and Rhizophagus intraradices. Soil health was assessed using the following parameters: microbial diversity, enzyme activities, soil organic matter, nutrient utilization efficiency, and soil structure. The metrics used in evaluating crop performance included yield, total biomass, seed germination, seedling vigor, AMF colonization, and salinity and drought resistance. All statistical analyses were conducted using ANOVA.

Results

Increased soil organic matter (15 to 20%), increased microbial biomass (C, N, & P), and greater enzyme activity resulted from the application of microbial treatments. Crop yields increased up to 40%, and also there was an increase in seed germination/vigor and AMF colonization of plants (>45 percent). The AMF-inoculated plants under saline conditions maintained a better ionic balance than control plants, and drought resistance was improved by the addition of a microbial consortium and biochar. Fertiliser used was reduced by approximately 33% , and diseases caused by soil-borne pathogens decreased by approximately 30%

Conclusion

Microbial Inoculations and biotechnology improve soil and plant health, improve crop yield and stress resistance and decrease reliance on chemical fertilisers, indicating their potential for use in sustainable agriculture.