Commercialized Microbial Inoculants for Crop Improvement

Since the development of a practical use of particular natural or genetically altered microorganisms, there has been a high interest in understanding the persistence of inoculation fungal and bacterial strains in field and the potential effects of their release on the native microbial communities. Structural changes of the native microbial communities may result from soil inoculation or seed bacterization, which is crucial for a secure bacterial introduction into the environment. It was acknowledged that applying microbial inoculants can change temporarily the vicinity’s microbial communities. However, the key issue resides in how affected taxonomic groups can alter the functional capacities of soil microbial communities. These alterations may be caused directly by trophic competitions and interactions with local microbial communities or indirectly by increased root development and exudation. Blending inoculants might not always result in additive or synergistic impact and lead instead to a competitive process. Future studies should concentrate on determining the influence extent of the inoculants on crops and the ability of plant-soil-microbiota to act as a protective barrier.