Soil-plant-microbial interactions for soil fertility management and sustainable agriculture

Sustainability is a long-term concept associated with various influencing factors in the present scenario including changes in climatic pattern, agricultural practices, and pollution management strategies. Microbial population is exhibiting variations depending on the soil characteristics and biodiversity changes induced by natural and anthropogenic activities. Communities of microbes present in soil environment are diverse and complex with a high impact on ecosystem processes as they are part of the biogeochemical cycling. The present paper hypothesizes that abundance and activity of microbes are significant in soil-plant–microbial activity leading to soil fertility. Plant soil interaction in the rhizosphere involves the release of metabolites/root exudates by the plant to enhance the microbes population required for nutrient transformation. The molecular signaling among the plant and microbes in bulk as well as rhizosphere soil and their enzymatic activity help to alleviate soil associated problems and remediate the soil. Fertile soil and sustainable agriculture could be achieved by application of organic matter to soil that in turn facilitates the soil associated activities by plant and microbes. Employing organic farming could be a possible strategy for improving productivity through enhanced biological activity in soil.