Unveiling the roles, mechanisms and prospects of soil microbial communities in sustainable agriculture

Abstract Soil hosts diverse microbial communities including bacteria, fungi, archaea, protozoans and nematodes among others, which are fundamental to sustainable agriculture and drive essential processes that underpin soil fertility, plant health, and ecosystem resilience. They promote plant growth through mechanisms like nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization, production of growth-promoting substances, enhancement of nutrient uptake, improvement of soil structure and detoxification of harmful substances. Recently, there has been increasing interest in utilizing microorganisms to improve soil health and boost plant growth and efficiency, despite limited understanding of microbial diversity, microbe-plant…