Role of Microorganisms in Soil Health Management

Under the changing climatic conditions, the sustainability of soil health is a great concern for today’s modern agriculture. Soil health is the integrated indicator of the soil’s physical, chemical, and biological quality. The existence of diverse microorganisms in soil system regulates soil’s biological and physicochemical properties. Compared to other biological components of soil, microorganisms play a crucial role in improving soil health through their effects on organic matter decomposition, nutrient cycling, biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), solubilization of nutrients, carbon sequestration, reduction of soil pollutants, and formation and maintenance of soil structure. Smart utilization of soil microorganisms could reduce the demand for synthetic fertilizers in the agriculture sector, which might lessen the pollution of fertilizer-driven environmental pollution and improve soil quality. Microorganisms are also involved in plant growth promotion through various microbial processes, including phytohormone production, enzyme secretion, antimicrobial compound production, fixation of atmospheric nitrogen, solubilization of insoluble phosphorus, increasing fertilizer use efficiency, suppression of soil-borne pathogens and insects. Thus, the beneficial microorganisms can be exploited to improve soil health because of their involvement in many soil processes. However, to better understand microorganisms’ function in soil health enhancement, it is also crucial to find out various ecosystem factors that regulate the soil microorganisms. Considering the indispensable role of microorganisms in soil systems, this chapter emphasizes the significance of microorganisms in sustaining soil health for better agricultural productivity.