Role of Rhizomicrobiome in Maintaining Soil Fertility and Crop Production

Abstract

Microorganisms are involved in several major biological events associated with almost all the living organisms. Agriculture, in particular, which involves and revolves around the cultivated crops with special reference to its growth and yield demands association of microorganisms. As the world of microbiome associated with several animals especially human beings started highlighting the need of association of microorganisms for health condition, the interest is also started pointing towards the role of microbiome/rhizomicrobiome which is associated with plant roots and thereby promotes plant growth. Rhizosphere is a hot spot of microbial diversity; its distribution is guided by root exudate pattern and the soil type. There is a complex interaction between soil, plant and microbes which decides the growth of the plants. Especially rhizobiome is considered as an alternate genome of the plants, which guides several physiological and ecological activities of the plants. In recent times, rhizosphere engineering, application of synthetic microbiome, agent-based modelling of the rhizobiome, metagenomic studies of the different agricultural soil, understanding of the complex interaction between microorganisms in biome, role of plants in developing these biomes, role of individual or group of microbes associated with rhizobiome in plant growth promotion and finally documenting the different rhizobiome of the agricultural crops are gaining momentum. These new areas of research are providing more insights into understanding of microorganisms associated with plants in general and its roots in particular. The bioformulations of these microorganisms which support plant growth would be the good solution for future green revolution strategies.