Microbial Consortia: An Approach to Enhance the Effectiveness of Beneficial Soil Microbes

Chemical inputs likes pesticides and fertilizers are widely used in agriculture today, but they affect soil health and its nutritional value. Since soil microbial consortia are crucial in determining the condition of the soil, their use as a chemical-free substitute is becoming more and more important. This is partly because various microbial consortia may carry out distinct functions in varied soils. Exogenous application of consortia is, therefore, an effective strategy to improve soil nutrients and lower chemical inputs which in turn help maintain soil structure. Microbial consortia collectively acting with different mechanisms of action can have a broader effect and benefit to the soil health. In this chapter, different types of microbial consortia are reviewed. Additionally, when microorganisms function as a consortium, often as combinations of numerous species under various soil conditions, their interaction and methods are discussed. Moreover, the engineering opportunities and biotechnological potential of several microbial consortiums are also highlighted. However, more details are still needed about the mechanisms of increasing soil microbiome performance in an ecosystem by the introduction of new microbial strains/consortia.