Phosphorus Solubilizing Microorganisms: An Eco-Friendly Approach for Sustainable Plant Health and Bioremediation

Phosphorus (P) is one of the essential macronutrients for plant metabolism. Regardless of its great quantity in inorganic and organic forms, it is generally inaccessible for plant utility due to bond formation with other ions present in soil. Due to the excessive use of agrochemicals, environmental issues have reached their peak. This has increased the interest of the scientific community in finding a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilisers. Diverse microbes like Rhizobium spp., Serratia spp., Pseudomonas spp., Bacillus spp., Azotobacter spp., Penicillium spp., Rhizopus spp., Fusarium spp., and various actinomycetes have been isolated and screened as phosphorus solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs). The PSMs also act as biological control agents (bioagents) and help to withstand extreme stress circumstances (like heavy metal toxicity) by producing ACC deaminase. With the advent of time, organic farming is gaining attention as this technology is highly eco-friendly, so utilisation of potential microorganisms for solubilisation of phosphorus will improve soil health and crop productivity. PSMs possess significant heavy metal remediation potential; therefore, they can be used in restoration of contaminated soil as well as in enhancing plant health. This review will provide in-depth knowledge about PSMs and their role in sustainable agriculture and bioremediation of toxicants.