Abstract
The productivity and well-being of crops and plants are largely dependent on soil fertility. Soil fertility is determined through the interaction and intercalation of three matters: physical, chemical, and biological. Biological fertility is determined by the organisms that live in the soil and their interaction with other alike components. Their relationship with each other and with plants eventually controls the overall complexity and dynamics of the given ecosystem. However due to the complexity of the microbe–microbe, microbe–organisms, microbe–plant, and the multifactorial relationship between all, biological fertility becomes one of the least understood components. In addition, to soil fertility, soil microorganisms play a very essential role in the nutrient cycles that are fundamental to life on the planet. Fertile soil teems with microbes, where the most dominant microbes in soil are the bacteria, actinobacteria fungi, soil algae, and soil protozoa. A better understanding of soil microbiology is essential if agricultural production is to meet the needs of a growing world population. Therefore, it is important for us to understand how microorganisms may be useful in maintaining soil fertility and to determine its application in sustainable agriculture.
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Nadarajah, K.K. (2022). Soil Fertility and Sustainable Agriculture. In: Nayak, S.K., Baliyarsingh, B., Mannazzu, I., Singh, A., Mishra, B.B. (eds) Advances in Agricultural and Industrial Microbiology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8918-5_1
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