With the increasing global population and mounting pressures on resources and the environment, sustainable forestry production has become a key approach for maintaining ecosystem stability, enhancing carbon sequestration and preserving biodiversity. This review summarizes the current applications, challenges and future perspectives of beneficial microorganisms in sustainable forestry. beneficial microorganisms enhance plant and tree growth, stress resistance, and soil health through nutrient cycling, regulation of plant hormones, and gene expression. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), endophytic bacteria, and specific plant growth-promoting microbial consortia demonstrate significant potential in improving nutrient uptake, salt and drought tolerance, and disease resistance. However, the practical application of beneficial microorganisms in forestry is constrained by multiple translational barriers, including low colonization stability, strong environmental heterogeneity, and limited persistence of introduced microorganisms. Using Chinese fir (
Cunninghamia lanceolata
), a major plantation species in subtropical China, as a representative case, this review further illustrates how nutrient limitation, biotic stresses, and soil degradation interact with microbial processes and influence forest sustainability. Lessons from agricultural microbial applications, including crop rotation, mixed-species plantations, and biofertilizer management, provide valuable insights for optimizing microbial community structures to enhance tree growth and ecological adaptability. Integrating these approaches with microbiome-based management strategies offers promising pathways to overcome current limitations in forestry systems. Future research should focus on exploring and applying functional rhizosphere microbes, designing synthetic microbial communities, and investigating the interactions between tree species diversity and microbial communities, offering theoretical and technical support for sustainable forestry production.
The role of PGPF in climate-resilient cropping systems and circular bioeconomy frameworks, including waste valorization and biofertilizer development is highlighted and key limitations such as host specificity, environmental variability, and scalability challenges are identified.
Kallol Das, A. Sarker, D. Deepo et al.· Phyton· 0 citations
Microbial biostimulants (MBs) are gaining recognition as an essential component of sustainable agriculture due to their ability to enhance crop productivity, improve resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses, and reduce dependence on synthetic agricultural inputs. As global agricultural systems face increasing challenges from climate change and environmental degradation, MBs offer an environmentally sustainable strategy to improve plant performance and maintain long-term soil health. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in the development and application of MBs, with particular emphasis on plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Their mechanisms of action are comprehensively reviewed, including their roles in enhancing nutrient acquisition, stimulating plant growth, and improving tolerance to environmental stresses. The synergistic effects of PGPR–AMF consortia in improving crop productivity and quality under adverse environmental conditions are also discussed. In addition, the review evaluates the direct and indirect mechanisms through which MBs mitigate drought, salinity, nutrient deficiency, and pathogen pressure. Current challenges, including limited mechanistic understanding, inconsistent field performance, and formulation standardization, are critically discussed. To maximize the potential of MBs, future research should focus on elucidating plant–microbe interactions using advanced multi-omics approaches, optimizing microbial consortia and formulations, and validating their efficacy through long-term, multi-location field trials. These advances will facilitate the wider adoption of MBs for improving soil health, enhancing food security, and supporting climate-resilient and resource-efficient agricultural systems.
This review uniquely integrates the biochemical, physiological, and molecular mechanisms of PGPR in plant nutrition and stress mitigation while critically analyzing contradictory field results and highlighting newly characterized strains and sustainable tools for climate-resilient agriculture.
Pan Qi, Haoyue Liang, Liquan Zhao et al.· Frontiers in Microbiology· 0 citations
Sustainable agriculture requires strategies that enhance crop productivity while reducing dependence on chemical inputs which are efficient, profitable, eco-friendly and conserve or enhance renewable resources. Microorganisms play a vital role in maintaining soil texture, health and fertility. Plant-associated methylotrophic bacteria, particularly Methylobacterium spp. (pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs, PPFMs), have gained attention as effective biofertilizers and biocontrol agents. These bacteria are widely distributed in the phyllosphere and rhizosphere of plants, where they utilize plant-derived methanol for growth and establish beneficial associations with host plants. Methylobacterium promotes plant development through multiple mechanisms, including phytohormone production, nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, siderophore synthesis, and improved nutrient uptake. They also enhance plant defense by inducing systemic resistance, producing antimicrobial compounds, and competing with pathogens for nutrients and colonization sites. Additionally, their ability to tolerate environmental stress and degrade toxic compounds supports plant resilience under adverse conditions. Overall, Methylobacterium spp. offers a sustainable alternative approach for improving crop productivity, maintaining soil health, and reducing reliance on agrochemicals.
K. R. Sharmi, R. Poorniammal, S. Prabhu et al.· Journal of Pure and Applied...· 0 citations
The roles of bacteria, fungi, archaea, algae and cyanobacteria in nutrient cycling, soil fertility improvement, plant growth promotion, biological nitrogen fixation, disease suppression and pollutant degradation are examined.
Sarita Dubey, Vaishalee Thakur, Akanksha Sharma· Journal of Advances in Biolo...· 0 citations
Agricultural sustainability has become a necessity amid the environmental degradation, decline of soil quality, loss of biodiversity and limitations of input-intensive farming systems. This review focuses on the role of cultural agricultural practices, integrated pest management and integrated nutrient management on sustainable production of crops and environmental protection. It identifies the role of crop rotation, intercropping, polyculture, conservation tillage, cover crops, and organic amendments in enhancing soil health, ecosystem resilience, and efficiency of resource use. The review also discusses the significance of integrated pest and nutrient management in reducing dependence on synthetic agrochemicals, strengthening ecological balance, and supporting long-term agricultural productivity. In addition, it explores the growing importance of plant-derived bioactive compounds from sustainable agriculture and their nutritional, therapeutic, and pharmaceutical relevance. Emerging delivery technologies, including lipid-based nanocarriers, encapsulation systems, controlled release approaches, and plant-derived extracellular vesicles, further extend the value of these natural compounds. Despite promising progress, challenges related to standardization, scalability, formulation stability, and regulatory acceptance remain substantial. Overall, the review emphasizes that the integration of ecologically sound farming practices with advances in bioactive research and delivery technologies offers a promising pathway toward environmentally responsible agriculture and value-added utilization of plant resources.
Pravat Ranjan Dixit, Ashish Tiwari, Prriya Chitale et al.· Genetics and Molecular Resea...· 0 citations
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