Pedosphere 28(2): 170--189, 2018
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2018 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Biosurfactants as a Biological Tool to Increase Micronutrient Availability in Soil: A Review |
Ratan SINGH1, Bernard R. GLICK2, Dheeraj RATHORE1 |
1School of Environment and Sustainable Development, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar 382030 (India)
2Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (Canada) |
| ABSTRACT |
| Addressing micronutrient deficiencies in agricultural soils to meet the growing demands of crops is a matter of great concern worldwide. The use of biosurfactant, a multifunctional microbial metabolite, to enhance nutrient availability may be a sustainable way of enhancing agricultural productivity. Biosurfactants are generally less toxic than synthetic surfactants. The application of biosurfactants in agricultural soils is anticipated to improve nutrient status, increase wettability, and achieve a more even dissemination of complex nutrients. Numerous studies have evaluated the influence of biosurfactants on bioremediation, antimicrobial activity, and soil flushing efficiency. This manuscript reviews the possibility of employing biosurfactants to mobilize and solubilize soil nutrients and make them available to plants through the formation of metal-biosurfactant complexes. Although significant progress regarding an explanation of the mechanisms behind many biosurfactant-induced effects has been made, there are still many aspects of this area that are not sufficiently elucidated, such as differences in specificity for nutrients (e.g., Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn) and toxins (e.g., Cd and Pb). Biosurfactants from various isolates have been considered for their potential role in plant growth promotion and other applications related to improving the effectiveness of agricultural soils. |
| Key Words: critical micelle concentration,micelle formation,microbial metabolite,microbial isolate,micronutrient deficiency,soil metal bioavailability |
| Citation: Singh R, Glick B R, Rathore D. 2018. Biosurfactants as a biological tool to increase micronutrient availability in soil:A review. Pedosphere. 28(2):170-189. |
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