Beneficial Microbes in Soil Health and Crop Productivity

Soil microbes are an important prelude to soil fertility and health. Plant growth-promoting (PGP) microbes are soil microbes that enhance plant growth and productivity in both normal and stressful conditions. PGP, including bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, protozoa, viruses, and nematode, play a critical role in the improvement of soil health and fertility. PGP afford good soil health and productivity by biological nitrogen fixation, acquisition and utilization of key nutrients, suppression of pathogenic microorganisms, and enhancing overall soil quality. Furthermore, they play an essential role in cycling nutrients, decomposing organic matter, and retaining the moisture content of the soil. This chapter summarizes the evidence available in the literature for the beneficial effects of microbes on soil health and crop productivity. “Scopus,” “Science Direct,” and “Web of Science” databases were searched by using the keywords “microbes,” “soil health,” and “crop productivity” for searching the studies aiming at the application of microbes and their corresponding beneficial effects on soil health and fertility.