scholarly journals Culturable Yeasts as Biofertilizers and Biopesticides for a Sustainable Agriculture: A Comprehensive Review

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 822
Author(s):  
María Hernández-Fernández ◽  
Gustavo Cordero-Bueso ◽  
Marina Ruiz-Muñoz ◽  
Jesús M. Cantoral
Keyword(s):  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Herbicidal Activity ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Agricultural Method ◽  
Promote Plant Growth ◽  
Sustainable Agricultural Practices ◽  
High Antifungal Activity

The extensive use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides has negative consequences in terms of soil microbial biodiversity and environmental contamination. Faced with this growing concern, a proposed alternative agricultural method is the use of microorganisms as biofertilizers. Many works have been focused on bacteria, but the limited literature on yeasts and their potential ability to safely promote plant growth is gaining particular attention in recent years. Thus, the objective of this review is to highlight the application of yeasts as biological agents in different sectors of sustainable agricultural practices through direct or indirect mechanisms of action. Direct mechanisms include the ability of yeasts to provide soluble nutrients to plants, produce organic acids and phytohormones (indole-3-acetic acid). Indirect mechanisms involve the ability for yeasts to act as biocontrol agents through their high antifungal activity and lower insecticidal and herbicidal activity, and as soil bioremediating agents. They also act as protective agents against extreme environmental factors by activating defense mechanisms. It is evident that all the aspects that yeasts offer could be useful in the creation of quality biofertilizers and biopesticides. Hence, extensive research on yeasts could be promising and potentially provide an environmentally friendly solution to the increased crop production that will be required with a growing population.

Application of Extremophiles in Sustainable Agriculture

2022 ◽  
pp. 233-250
Author(s):  
Julius Eyiuche Nweze ◽  
Justus Amuche Nweze ◽  
Shruti Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Agriculture ◽  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Production Plant ◽  
Physiological Conditions ◽  
Sustainable Agricultural Practices

With the increasing demands for foods and other agriculture-based products, sustainable agricultural practices are the cornerstone for improving low-input agricultural production. In contrast to crop production, plant-microorganism interaction (PMI) plays a crucial role. PMI significantly raises productivity as well as maintaining the overall health of the crop. During harsh and extreme physiological conditions, plant-associated extremophilic microbes (PAEM) are known to contribute to crop production, survivability, and fitness. Thus, the application of extremophiles either in the form of biofertilizer or biopesticides is highly beneficial. Extremophiles have been adapted to withstand diverse harsh environmental conditions. They possess unique mechanisms at the molecular level to produce enormous potential extremozymes and bioactive compounds. Consequently, extremophiles represent the foundation of efficient and sustainable agriculture. This chapter introduces the significance and application of plant-associated extremophilic microbes in sustainable agriculture.

scholarly journals Biochar application on paddy and purple soils in southern China: soil carbon and biotic activity

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 181499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shen Yan ◽  
Zhengyang Niu ◽  
Aigai Zhang ◽  
Haitao Yan ◽  
He Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Carbon Pool ◽  
Carbon Pools ◽  
Soil Carbon Pool ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Soil Carbon Pools

Soil carbon reserves are the largest terrestrial carbon pools. Common agricultural practices, such as high fertilization rates and intensive crop rotation, have led to global-scale environmental changes, including decreased soil organic matter, lower carbon/nitrogen ratios and disruption of soil carbon pools. These changes have resulted in a decrease in soil microbial activity, severe reduction in soil fertility and transformation of soil nutrients, thereby causing soil nutrient imbalance, which seriously affects crop production. In this study, 16S rDNA-based analysis and static chamber-gas chromatography were used to elucidate the effects of continuous application of straw biochar on soil carbon pools and the soil microbial environments of two typical soil types (purple and paddy soils) in southern China. Application of biochar (1) improved the soil carbon pool and its activity, (2) significantly promoted the release of soil CO 2 and (3) improved the soil carbon environment. Soil carbon content was closely correlated with the abundance of organisms belonging to two orders, Lactobacillales and Bacteroidales, and, more specifically, to the genus Lactococcus . These results suggest that biochar affects the soil carbon environment and soil microorganism abundance, which in turn may improve the soil carbon pool.

scholarly journals Nitrogen Utilization in a Cereal-Legume Rotation Managed with Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariangela Diacono ◽  
Paola Baldivieso-Freitas ◽  
Francisco Sans Serra
Keyword(s):  
Green Manure ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Residual Effect ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
N Losses ◽  
Sustainable Agricultural Practices ◽  
N Use

Optimization of the nitrogen (N) inputs and minimization of nutrient losses strongly affect yields in crop rotations. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of agricultural practices on yield and N use in a 4-year cereal-legume rotation in organic farming and to identify the best combination of these practices. The following treatments were compared: conventional plough (P) vs. reduced chisel (RC) tillage; composted farmyard manure (F) vs. unfertilized control (NF); and green manure (GM) vs. no green manure (NoM). No significant differences were found for N use efficiency between P and RC in each crop. The results suggested that legumes in the tested rotation do not need supplemental N fertilization, particularly if combining GM and F. The use of composted farmyard manure should be considered in a long-term fertilization plan for cereals, to allow a higher efficiency in N use. The residual effect of fertilization over time, along with the site-specific pedo-climatic conditions, should also be considered. In both tested tillage approaches, soil N surplus was the highest in plots combining GM and F (i.e., more than 680 kg N ha−1 in combination with RC vs. about 140 kg N ha−1 for RC without fertilization), with a risk of N losses by leaching. The N deficit in NoM–NF both combined with P and RC would indicate that these treatment combinations are not sustainable for the utilized crops in the field experiment. Therefore, the combination of the tested practices should be carefully assessed to sustain soil fertility and crop production.

scholarly journals The multifaceted plant-beneficial rhizobacteria toward agricultural sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 95-111
Author(s):  
Olubukola Babalola ◽  
Oluwaseun Adeyinka Fasusi
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Modern Method ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Agricultural Sustainability ◽  
Plant Growth Promoting ◽  
Promote Plant Growth ◽  
Growth Promoting

Agricultural practices depend mainly on the use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides which have caused serious health hazards and have also contributed to the pollution of the environment at large. The application of plant-beneficial rhizobacteria in agrarian practices has become paramount in increasing soil fertility, promoting plant growth, ensuring food safety, and increasing crop production to ensure sustainable agriculture. Beneficial rhizobacteria are soil microorganisms that are eco-friendly and serve as a modern method of improving the plant yield, protecting the plant and soil fertility that pose no harm to humans and the environment. This eco-friendly approach requires the application of beneficial rhizobacteria with plant growth-promoting traits that can improve the nutrient uptake, enhance the resistance of plants to abiotic and biotic stress, protect plants against pathogenic microorganisms and promote plant growth and yield. This review article has highlighted the multitasking roles that beneficial rhizobacteria employ in promoting plant growth, food production, bioremediation, providing defence to plants, and maintaining soil fertility. The knowledge acquired from this review will help in understanding the bases and importance of plant-beneficial rhizobacteria in ensuring agricultural sustainability and as an alternative to the use of agrochemicals.

scholarly journals Novel mechanisms for phosphate acquisition in abundant rhizosphere-dwelling Bacteroidetes

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian D.E.A. Lidbury ◽  
David J. Scanlan ◽  
Andrew R. J. Murphy ◽  
Andrew Bottrill ◽  
Alex Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Phosphate Starvation ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
P Uptake ◽  
Inducible Expression ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Sustainable Agricultural Practices ◽  
First Time ◽  
Hypothetical Genes

AbstractGlobal food production is reliant on the application of finite phosphorus (P) fertilisers. Numerous negative consequences associated with intensive P fertilisation have resulted in a high demand to find alternative sustainable methods that will enhance crop P uptake. Bacteroidetes, primarily from the genus Flavobacterium, have recently been shown to be abundant members of the plant microbiome, but their general ecological role and potential to mobilise P in the rhizosphere remains very poorly characterised. Here, we sought to determine the P mobilisation potential of Flavobacterium strains isolated from the rhizosphere of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). We show that these Flavobacterium strains possess novel mechanisms for P mobilisation and subsequent acquisition. These include the constitutive and inducible expression of completely novel and phylogenetically distinct phosphatases, the phosphate starvation inducible expression of uncharacterised and hypothetical genes and gene clusters and, for the first time, the involvement of outer membrane SusCD transport complexes (usually associated with carbohydrate transport) in P acquisition. The genes encoding these unusual phosphate starvation inducible proteins were enriched in plant-associated Flavobacterium strains suggesting that this machinery represents niche-adaptive strategies for overcoming P scarcity in this genus. We propose that abundant rhizosphere-dwelling Flavobacterium spp. have evolved unique mechanisms for coping with Pi-stress which may provide novel solutions for future sustainable agricultural practices.

Sustainable agricultural practices using microbial strains for crop production

2021 ◽  
pp. 357-370
Author(s):  
Sandeep Kumar Singh ◽  
Hariom Verma ◽  
Vipin Kumar Singh ◽  
Sougata Ghosh ◽  
Deen Dayal Giri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Microbial Strains ◽  
Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Systems Biology for Enhanced Plant Nitrogen Nutrition

Science ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 336 (6089) ◽  
pp. 1673-1675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo A. Gutiérrez
Keyword(s):  
Systems Biology ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Regulatory Networks ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Nitrogen Nutrition ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Plant Nitrogen ◽  
N Nutrition ◽  
Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Nitrogen (N)–based fertilizers increase agricultural productivity but have detrimental effects on the environment and human health. Research is generating improved understanding of the signaling components plants use to sense N and regulate metabolism, physiology, and growth and development. However, we still need to integrate these regulatory factors into signal transduction pathways and connect them to downstream response pathways. Systems biology approaches facilitate identification of new components and N-regulatory networks linked to other plant processes. A holistic view of plant N nutrition should open avenues to translate this knowledge into effective strategies to improve N-use efficiency and enhance crop production systems for more sustainable agricultural practices.

Sustainable Agriculture: Impacts on Nonpoint Pollution

1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (3-5) ◽  
pp. 415-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Hatfield
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Nonpoint Source Pollution ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Nonpoint Source ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Efficient Resource ◽  
Sustainable Agricultural Systems ◽  
Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Current agricultural practices are thought to contribute to nonpoint source pollution because of large inputs of pesticides and fertilizers and intensive cultivation and crop production. Trends towards sustainable practices which involve crop rotations, alternative weed and pest control measures, use of manure as fertilizers, and crop residues can lead to improved resource management. Sustainable agricultural systems should be viewed not as a reversion to past systems but as adoption of systems which promote efficient resource management and improved efficiency in the use of natural resources. Many of the aspects currently considered to be sustainable agricultural practices will lead to decreased nonpoint source pollution on both the field and landscape scale. There are large changes in the physical, chemical, and biological factors which promote these reductions. The net result of adoption of these practices will be improved environmental quality; however, to realize this benefit will require both educational efforts and improved decision making tools to aid in the management decisions required in agriculture.

Comparative Advantage of Using Biopesticides in Ukrainian Agroecosystems

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasrat Arjjumend ◽  
Konstantia Koutouki ◽  
Olga Donets
Keyword(s):  
Shelf Life ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Soil Biology ◽  
Chemical Contamination ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Irreversible Damage

The use of unsustainable levels of chemical fertilizers and plant protection chemicals has resulted in a steady decline in soil and crop productivity the world over. Soil biology has undergone irreversible damage, coupled with a high concentration of toxic chemical residues in plant tissues and human bodies. Agricultural practices must evolve to sustainably meet the growing global demand for food without irreversibly damaging soil. Microbial biocontrol agents have tremendous potential to bring sustainability to agriculture in a way that is safe for the environment. Biopesticides do not kill non-target insects, and biosafety is ensured because biopesticides act as antidotes and do not lead to chemical contamination in the soil. This article is part of a larger study conducted in Ukraine by researchers at the Université de Montréal with the support of Mitacs and Earth Alive Clean Technologies. The responses of farmers who use biofertilizers (“user farmers”) and those who do not (“non-user farmers”), along with the responses of manufacturers or suppliers of biofertilizers, and research and development (R&D) scientists are captured to demonstrate the advantages of applying microbial biopesticides to field crops. Participants reported a 15-30% increase in yields and crop production after the application of biopesticides. With the use of biopesticides, farmers cultivated better quality fruits, grains, and tubers with a longer shelf life. Moreover, while the risk of crop loss remains high (60-70%) with chemically grown crops, this risk is reduced to 33% on average if crops are grown using biopesticides. The findings indicate that a large proportion of farmers would prefer to use biopesticides if they are effective and high quality products. In this context, the quality and effectiveness of products is therefore very important. Despite their benefits to soil, human health, and ecosystems, biopesticides face significant challenges and competition vis-à-vis synthetic pesticides for a variety of reasons. Therefore, the development of biopesticides must overcome the problems of poor quality products, short shelf life, delayed action, high market costs, and legal/registration issues.

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