Over View of Symbiosis Mechanisms and Soil Quality Management Practices to Combat Environmental Changes

Abstract

Higher input requirements for high yields result in environmental issues and the depletion of natural resources in agricultural systems. The wide genetic variation in microbial species reveals that microorganisms with high potential that can adapt to different environmental conditions can be identified. Soil quality is defined as a soil feature that promotes biological activity, protects and maintains environmental quality, and fulfills the function of plant production within the boundaries of an ecosystem. The transformation of phosphorus and nitrogen, which are the building blocks of living cells, from organic form to inorganic and useful form is necessary for plants to be taken up by the microorganisms in the soil. The fixation of elemental nitrogen in the atmosphere takes place by microorganisms living symbiotically as well as non-symbiotically. Plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPR), on the other hand, colonize the rhizosphere and provide the potential to be a biological fertilizer in plant production as well as a biological control agent. Additionally, PGPR exhibits synergistic or antagonistic interactions with the soil and rhizosphere microorganisms that help or speed up plant growth. Biochar, a carbonaceous substance, is being used more frequently to clean up anthropogenically contaminated soils and restore their ecological functions. In addition, due to its high surface area, porosity, functional groups on its surface, and surface charge, biochar is an effective additive for the removal of inorganic and organic pollutants in water and soil. We think that this chapter will help answer questions about biochar's feasibility, effectiveness, and safety so that it can be used to make the soil more fertile and get rid of pollutants in the soil. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.