Pedosphere 33(1): 129--152, 2023
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2023 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
Prospecting microbial biofilms as climate smart strategies for improving plant and soil health: A review
Kulandaivelu VELMOUROUGANE1, Shobit THAPA2, and Radha PRASANNA3
1 Division of Crop Production, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Institute for Cotton Research(CICR), Nagpur 440010(India)
2 Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Kushmaur, Mau Nath Bhanjan 275103(India)
3 Division of Microbiology, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012(India)
Corresponding Author:Kulandaivelu VELMOUROUGANE
ABSTRACT
      Microbes and their products play key roles in complementing chemical fertilizers and plant protection chemicals by eliciting defence mechanisms in crop plants, thereby providing immunity and resistance against diverse stresses. Among the different environmental technologies used to mitigate climate change, several microbiological interventions are promising, among which biofilms, both naturally-existing and laboratory-developed, and their application have gained momentum recently. Microbial biofilms are aggregations of microbial cells in a self-generated polymeric matrix, which are produced by several genera of bacteria, yeasts, cyanobacteria, and fungi as a mode of reproductive fitness, thereby advantageous in successful proliferation, even in extreme environments. The propensity of microbial biofilms to grow in diverse niches and adapt to biotic and abiotic stresses illustrates their immense potential as biofertilizers and disease suppression options in various crops across diverse ecologies. In the inhospitable habitats of deserts and denudated land, biofilms play an important role in preventing soil erosion and sustaining vegetation, microflora, and fauna. Biofilms represent a mode of growth for several microbes with plant growth-promoting and biocontrol potential, which are important in seed establishment and the facilitation of exchanging nutrients and metabolites from the environment. In this review, we discuss the prospects of microbial biofilms as a green option in agriculture in general and, more specifically, their potential in mitigating climate change.
Key Words:  biocontrol,bioremediation,climate change,environmental stress,nutrient sequestration,plant growth promotion
Citation: Velmourougane K, Thapa S, Prasanna R. 2023. Prospecting microbial biofilms as climate smart strategies for improving plant and soil health: A review. Pedosphere. 33(1): 129-152.
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