Microbes and compost: an emerging role in climate resilience agriculture

Abstract

Microbes and their metabolic activity are crucial for a healthy and functioning soil. The rhizosphere, where plant roots and microbes mingle, is a bustling hub for nutrient cycling, energy flow, and microbial activity. Sustainable farming prioritizes nurturing these rhizospheric processes. Biofertilizers, including symbiotic and nonsymbiotic microbial partnerships, plant growth-promoting microbes, and arbuscular mycorrhizal collaborations, all play diverse roles in soil health and plant growth. Some microbes like Pseudomonas spp., Bacillus spp., and Streptomyces spp. help convert insoluble phosphorus into plant available forms. Composting, is another sustainable process, transforms organic waste into valuable compost, a dual-action fertilizer and soil amendment. Microbes decompose organic matter in compost, turning it into a stable, plant-friendly material. This aerobic process breaks down easy-to-digest molecules, generating CO2 and more durable substances. Composting effectively manages organic waste, reusing nutrients, reducing volume and moisture, and breaking down harmful organics plus, intricate humic-like chemicals form, boosting soil health. Thus, understanding and nurturing the vibrant microbial world in the rhizosphere through sustainable practices like biofertilizers and composting is key to healthy soil and a thriving future for farming. © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.