Modern agriculture is almost entirely reliant on the supply and utilization of
agrochemicals, such as fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides, to maintain and boost
agriculture productivity. Heavy use of chemical fertilizers has resulted in numerous
adverse effects on the environment and human health. Biofertilizers have emerged as
an eco-friendly, inexpensive, and renewable alternative to restore, enhance, and
maintain soil fertility, soil health, and crop yield. Biofertilizers are beneficial microbes,
including plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, cyanobacteria, and
their symbionts. Hence, the importance of biofertilizers in soil management practices
for soil and crop sustainability needs to be highlighted in light of their multiple
benefits, including augmenting nutrient availability in the rhizosphere, increasing
nutrient uptake and recycling, supplementing soil water holding capacity, production of
plant growth regulators, and soil reclamation. The challenges regarding the large-scale
utilization of biofertilizers need to be emphasized to achieve sustainability in
agricultural soils.
Keywords: Biofertilizers, Biotechnology, Nutrient, Phosphorus, Soil he, Sustainable agriculture.
