Role of Soil Biology on Soil Health for Sustainable Agricultural Production

Abstract

For tenable agriculture production and soil health maintenance, microbial and faunal activity is very important which helps to maintain ecology in soil with minimal effect on environment. Soil biology can find a good balance between the requirement of food production and the protection of the ecological system within the environment. Good and healthy soil can undergo a number of ecosystem services; the most notable are soil nutrient cycling, water quality, and productivity management, helping decomposition and pulling out greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Soil microorganism’s diversity and activity are the major component of soil health which is intimately associated with the sustainable agriculture. Beneficial microorganisms intensify the water use efficiency and nutrient availability to plants, besides phytohormone production, soil nutrient cycling, and plant resistance to environmental stresses. In general, organic farming and proper tillage practice improve soil health by increasing the abundance, diversity, and activity of microorganisms. Soil biological properties answer faster and may be better indicator than physical and chemical properties of soil although the biological components in soil occupy only 0.5% volume of soil and normally contribute up to 10% of soil organic matter. Soil quality is considered as the major linkage between the agricultural conservation management practices and sustainable agriculture. Improvisation of soil biology needs to grip of various interactions; the notable are soil biological community and diversity, plant species, soil type, climate, as well as soil management practices. The biological properties in the soil can be improved by addition of crop residues, animal manure, root and cover crops, green manure, compost, and other sources as well as cropping systems and crop rotation. Moreover, to promote the soil biological properties, balanced fertilization is very important. The introduction of beneficial organisms such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria, phosphorus solubilizing and mobilizing organisms, blue green algae, mycorrhizae, etc. was found to enhance the soil health, plant nutrient uptake, aggregation, soil structure, porosity, and heavy metal tolerance.