Microbial Augmentation for Soil Restoration and Improved Soil Health

Microbes are essential for preserving soil health and improving crops’ yield. Soil restoration via microbial augmentation is a significant strategy to promote sustainable agriculture. To date, the decline of soil health has led to many negative impacts not only on the economy of a country due to crop losses but also on human health and food security. Soil restoration is an important strategy to improve crop productivity and soil sustainability to create a sustainable agricultural system. Augmentation of microbes for soil restoration is a process of adding microbes or substances to speed up the rate of degradation of organic materials to increase nutrient availability or population of beneficial microbes. This chapter gives an overview of the roles that microorganisms play in the cycling of nutrients, such as nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, and carbon cycles. The discussion examines the process of decomposition of crop residues and roles of microbes in the formation of soil structure, soil fertility improvement, and nutrient absorption thereby improving the soil microenvironment in term of crop productivity and plant growth. The chapter also summarizes the soil restoration strategies using beneficial microbes to improve soil health and secure soil sustainability.