A review of agricultural microbial inoculants and their carriers in bioformulation

The administration of plant growth-promoting microbes as inoculants to attain improved crop yield with enhanced soil fertility is the most efficient technique for achieving sustainability in agriculture. Applying chemical or synthetic fertilizers, to meet the shooting agricultural demands of the unbridled growing population has burdened the environment with numerous severe repercussions. Bioformulation, a concoction made by administering single or consortia of microbial agents, committed to provide better health or growth to the crop is treated as a credible alternative to agrochemicals as they can fulfil the over-increasing food demands of the globe along with being eco-friendly and substantial. Therefore, the world is pinning its hope on applying microbial formulations in agriculture to meet the global crisis of ‘5F’: food, feed, fuel, fertilizer, and finance. Nowadays, numerous studies are going on in this field still, the number of effective microbial formulations available is less than its demand in the market. To date, various microbes have been explored, possessing the ability as plant stimulants but, countless of soil microorganisms remain to be identified, and waiting to provide their efficient participation in the formulation industry. This review article chiefly explores and summarizes the history, concept, composition, and types of bio formulations with their application technologies, market potentials, as well as their challenges and limitations. The study also seeks to provide a comparative analysis of the agricultural inoculants and their carriers to support an ecology-inclusive economy and sustainability to the world.