Advancements in Microbial Biotechnology for Soil Health

Abstract

Around 2.5 million years in the past, the Homo genus originated in Africa, marking the initial utilisation of stone tools and remarkable evolutionary advancements. Roughly 12,000 years ago, a pivotal event took place: the domestication of plants and animals. This event sparked an agricultural revolution, leading humans to harness the land for sustenance, fundamentally altering their relationship with it. As heterotrophic organisms, humans rely on primary producers, mainly plants, to satisfy their nutritional and oxygen requirements. With the exception of hydroponics and aeroponics, plants typically rely on soil for growth, fulfilling the energy and dietary needs of the human population. Considering the present situation, soil is not just a medium that is used for growing crops; it also provides important ecosystem services. As the human population is growing at an infinite rate, we need more food production to cope with the growing population. But we humans are destroying the stability and quality of soil by releasing harmful compounds into the environment. Pollution of soil disrupts the biogeochemical cycle and food chains within the ecosystem and ultimately causes deleterious effect on humans. We need to save the diversity of soil and make conscious efforts to combat the difficulties of land management. This manuscript will discuss the biodiversity of soil, sources of soil pollution, and strategies to reduce the contamination/toxicity of the soil. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.